Cinema Metropolis: Terrorism or Resistance | Belgrade, Sarajevo, Belfast

How does a city become a weapon? The ethnic conflict in the Balkans and the years of "The Troubles" in Northern Ireland left deep scars on the urban spaces where they unfolded. In both cases, cities became a battleground for the preservation of national identity, where nearly every building and street corner played a fateful role.

While Balkan cities experienced a merciless urbanocide ("city murder"), in Belfast the fracture translated into total physical segregation that persists to this day: "peace lines" still separate neighborhoods, and the education system remains divided between Catholics and Protestants.

During this evening, we will examine how cinema in both regions responded to this complex reality—ranging from works that took an active part in the national struggle on both sides of the divide, to films that turned their gaze toward the heavy human toll of spatial conflict.

Following the lecture, we will screen the film Hunger (Steve McQueen, 2008), set in HM Prison Maze near Belfast, which follows the final weeks of Bobby Sands, who led the famous 1981 hunger strike. The film portrays how the tension of Belfast's streets seeped into the incarcerated space, turning the human body into a final instrument of expression in the national struggle.

Trigger Warning: The film presents political content that may be sensitive to some viewers. It includes scenes that are difficult to watch, depicting physical violence, an extreme hunger strike, and graphic and blunt portrayals of the prisoners' protest and the sanitary conditions within the incarcerated space.

Event Schedule:

19:00 Hangout with Anan Records & drinks by Cafe Lev

20:00 Lecture – Terrorism or Resistance

21:00 Film Screening: Hunger (Steve McQueen, UK, 2008, 96 mins)

Notes:

Unassigned seating; alternative seating arrangements

Early arrival is recommended to secure a spot when doors open

Registration is available for individual events; sessions can be attended independently

Speaker: Shani Kiniso, Film Researcher and Critic

Content Development: Moran Navon, Content Manager at Liebling Haus

This event is a collaboration between the Liebling Haus (one of the Bialik Square cultural centers), The Intangible Cinema Project, Devek and Anan Records.

Cinema Metropolis is an event series exploring global cities at critical turning points and times of crisis: from wars and political or religious tensions, through social and economic hardships, to eras of prosperity and peace. Each session examines different cities through the medium of film, revealing how historical crises shaped urban landscapes—both in reality and on screen. By looking at other cities during times of crisis and change, we hope to re-examine our own local space and contemplate the future we wish to shape here.