Episode 5: Slovenia

KOREOGRAFIJA NA MORJU /

CHOREOGRAPHY AT SEA

by Biljana Čakič Veselič

A fishing boat on the tiny Slovenian sea maneuvers in a borderland created after the catastrophic Balkan war, on a razor-thin line between territorial violations and a loss of identity. Silvano and Damjan, like all fishermen, depend on their luck with passing schools of fish, but with one difference: They aren’t able to follow them very far. The Slovenian sea is just six miles wide. Seagulls and marine animals don’t need to worry about borders; the fishermen must wait for their catch to cross from Italy or Croatia, then sell them to buyers in all nations: “There is a border, but you can't see it. The fish don't see it either. They swim wherever it suits them. I've never seen a fish with a Croatian or Italian flag.” CHOREOGRAPHY AT SEA opens the space between the water’s surface and whatever lies beneath.

Credits

Na majhnem koščku slovenskega morja, ob meji, ki je nastala po pogubni vojni na Balkanu, na tanki črti med kršitvijo določil teritorialnih voda in izgubo identitete, spretno manevrira ribiški čoln. Ribiča Silvano in Damjan sta, tako kot njuni kolegi, odvisna od sreče, ki jima jo nameni plavajoča jata rib, vendar z eno razliko: ne moreta ji slediti prav daleč. Slovensko morje sega namreč le šest milj od obale. Galebi in druge morske živali pa se ne rabijo ozirati na meje; ribiči morajo le počakati na ulov, da prečka italijansko ali hrvaško mejo in ga potem prodati kupcem v vseh treh državah: "Meja je, samo se je ne vidi. Pa ribe je tudi ne vidijo. Plavajo, kamor hočejo. Še nikoli nisem videl ribe s hrvaško ali italijansko zastavo." KOREOGRAFIJA NA MORJU odpira prostor med površino vode in vsem, kar je pod njo.