CINS Journalist Wins Award for Best Environmental Film

The documentary “When Protests Die Down” by Dina Đorđević was chosen for Best Film in the “Environment” category of the Rzav Film Fest.

This documentary, released in October 2023, follows Desimir Stojanov, a participant in civil protests against the construction of a small hydropower plant on the Rakitska River.

The construction of the Zvonce small hydropower plant was marked by numerous incidents, inspections, and irregularities. The entire case escalated in 2020 with a large-scale campaign to remove pipes from the river. Citizens from many parts of Serbia came to Rakita with the intention of using tools to remove the pipe of the future power plant.

Having been on the front lines from the very beginning, motivated to prevent the construction of the small hydropower plant on the Rakitska River, Desimir Stojanov quickly realized that his activism would come at a high cost.

The festival’s expert jury explained their choice for the award:

“The film ‘When Protests Die Down’ focuses on activism in Serbia and its consequences. Through a documentary exploration of best practices and examining activist struggles during and after the crisis on Stara Planina, the author presents an inspiring personal story and an important document about the significance of activists in any society. The jury believes that this is an exceptionally relevant topic nowadays in our society and wishes to support the author who has depicted the other side of the coin with bravery and dignity.”

You can watch the short documentary film “When Protests Die Down” here:

The award was handed out as part of the second international Rzav Film Fest, which aims to highlight the topic of environmental protection and people’s relationship with nature, and is organized by the Rzav Environmental Association.

The festival featured 29 films from around the world, with awards handed out in three categories: Environment, Water as a Topic, and Student Film.

According to the festival’s website, the award for Best Environmental Film recognizes films that effectively convey important messages about the relationship between mankind and the environment, often through compelling narratives, striking visual elements, and insightful commentary.

The jury, consisting of Zoran Amar, Aleksandar Nedeljković, Marija Kovačina, Rade Popović, and Tamara Preininger, also handed out three other awards: Festival’s Best Film – Rzav Golden Drop went to the film “Horizon” by Tanja Deman; Best Film in the Water category to the film “Biological Minimum” by Milica Smiljković and Tara Radusinović; and Best Student Film to “Come back” by Ružica Anja Tadić.

CINS has produced three other short video documentaries: “Struggling to Breathe,” about asthma exacerbated by air pollution in Belgrade; “Dispossessed“, about a man who lost his land because of the construction of a private mine near Bor; and “Waiting for a Home“, which depicts residents whose building burned down and who were promised new apartments, which they did not receive by the time the documentary was released.

For many years, CINS has investigated important environmental issues, including small hydropower plants, air pollution, and illegal logging.

CINS journalists have received numerous accolades and awards for their work in this field, including the European Union’s first award for investigative journalism for a series of articles on air pollution in Serbia, having previously won a second-place award for stories on small hydropower plants.