Balkan Express (10 Episodes) - 5-DVD Box Set ( Montenegro / Kosovo / Albania / Macedonia / Bosnia & Herzegovina / Serbia / Romania / Bulgaria / Greece / Turkey ) ( Balkan-Express - Return to Europe )

Balkan Express (10 Episodes) - 5-DVD Box Set (DVD) (*)

~~$76.99~~ $64.95

Original Title: Montenegro / Kosovo / Albania / Macedonia / Bosnia & Herzegovina / Serbia / Romania / Bulgaria / Greece / Turkey
Alternate Title: Balkan-Express - Return to Europe
Language Selections:
English ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
English ( Subtitles )
German ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )
German ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
Germany ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
520 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (1.78:1)

Special Features:
Box Set
Interactive Menu
Multi-DVD Set
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 2008 and produced in:
Austria ( Germany, Central Europe )

Directed By:
Peter Behringer
Robert Neumüller

Written By:
Kristof Bender
Wolfgang Stickler

Actors:
Peter Behringer
Robert Neumüller

Synopsis:

This ten-part documentary series, an initiative of ERSTE Foundation based on research by the European Stability Initiative (ESI) and co- produced by ORF, ORF/3sat and pre tv, is the most ambitious TV project on South Eastern Europe in the past decade. It is a voyage of discovery through the whole of the Balkans, from the Adriatic to the Bosporus. It leads from Kotor on the Adriatic Sea to Novi Sad on the Danube, from the Albanian coastal plains to the Aegean. It is a journey of colours: the facades of Tirana, the painted mosques of Travnik, and the spectacular blue of the waters - dark in the Bay of Kotor, emerald in the river valleys of Bosnia, deep blue in Ohrid, twinkling on the beaches of Halkidiki and on the Bosporus. The journey follows the Via Egnatia, which connected the two capitals of the Roman Empire, Rome and Constantinople, in classical times. There were no borders in the Balkans back then; the whole region was part of Europe. After a decade of bitter conflict in the 1990s, this remains a compelling vision for the Balkans today. The films focus on people who struggle for democratic values, who fight to overcome legacies of conflict and who strive to create a new Balkans. We meethuman rights activists and journalists, subsistence farmers and business tycoons, football stars and prime ministers, all telling their own stories of how their societies - and their lives - are changing.
List of Episodes:
Montenegro
Kosovo
Albania
Macedonia
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Serbia
Romania
Bulgaria
Greece
Turkey

Montenegro
Montenegro is a miniature version of the Balkan region. For centuries, Catholics, Orthodox, Christians and Muslims have lived side by side here - despite the country's reputation for blood feuds and the fighting spirit of its people. Then, in 2006, Montenegro emerged from the wreckage of the former Yugoslavia without bloodshed as an independent state. Today, Wild Beauty is the tourism slogan of a country that has embraced its new multiethnic identity.
Kosovo
In 2008, Kosovo's Albanians finally achieved their dream of an independent state. However, with practically no industry, and with unemployment rates among the highest in Europe, Kosovars depend upon the traditional extended family to survive. While Pristina is struggling to establish its identity as the newest European capital, most Kosovars remain trapped in rural poverty.
Albania
A decade ago, thousands of Albanians were fleeing a state that had collapsed into anarchy. Since then, Albania has undergone profound changes. Tirana has been transformed from the bleakest of concrete jungles into a city of colour. While life is still hard for many Albanians, today Albania is one of the youngest and most dynamic societies in Europe.
Macedonia
Macedonia has undergone profound changes since 2001, when it teetered on the brink of bloody civil war between ethnic Albanians and ethnic Macedonians. The film explores how Macedonia has managed its complex ethnic tensions, as the different groups have struggled to rebuild their lives.
Bosnia & Herzegovina
If there is one enduring image of the Balkans, it is the horror of war and atrocity in Bosnia and Herzegovina,. Today, the country us demilitarised and ethnic violence is a thing of the past. But the wounds of the war, and the frustrations with a peace that many still see as unjust, are undermining attempts to build a functioning Bosnian State.
Serbia
In Seriba, the euphoria that followed the ousting of Slobodan Miloševi? in 2000 has turned into frustration, as the old power structures prove strongly resistant to change. The film traces the efforts of many young Serbs - journalists, film-makers, artists and activists - to overcome the dark legacies of the past.
Romania
Romania has much to celebrate. The city of Timi?oara today enjoys a booming economy and a vibrant, multiethnic identity. Yet the legacies of Europe's most repressive communist regime die hard.
Bulgaria
From near collapse in 1996 to EU member on New Year's Day 2007, Bulgaria has accomplished an extraordinary and improbable transformation. From its broken economy and turbulent politics, Bulgaria has lifted itself up by its bootstraps, forging a new European identity. But faced with continuing challenges, from the grinding poverty of Roma ghettoes to the stubborn hold of organised crime, there is still a critical role for the courageous journalists and activists struggling for change.
Greece
Despite its quarter century of EU membership, the interethnic violence of the Balkans in the 1990s came as a shock to many Greeks - not least in Thessaloniki, a city full of ghosts from its vibrant, multiethnic past. Coming to terms with its history and forging a new understanding with the old enemy Turkey, are key issues defining the new Greece in the 21st century.
Turkey
Turkey is a society undergoing rapid change - nowhere more visible then in Istanbul, where east and west are in a process of continuous negotiation. Overcoming the legacy of authoritarianism, integrating the massive influx of minorities and improving the status of women are all high on the agenda of a Turkish civil society that has begun to assert itself as never before.

Return to Europe is one of the most ambitious TV projects on South Eastern Europe produced in recent years. It gives people who have contributed to the region's progress since the mid-1990s the opportunity to comment on their present situation: artists, lawyers, journalists, activists, mayors and football players tell their version of the story. With powerful images, these ten 52-minute episodes provide a new perspective on the present and possible future of the region.

This product was added to our catalog on Saturday 24 November, 2012.