Serbian truck driver assumes responsibility for transporting Albanian troops to mass grave

The title of this article translated by Periscope is a description of the fable of the newly promising Serbian director Ognjen Glavonic. This film has caused serious controversy in Serbia, and is being named anti-Serb film by a part. But Glanovic has the courage to break the Serb silence over crimes committed during the war.

The feature film “Transport”, written and directed by Ognjen Glavoniq, will be shown at the 71st Film Festival in Cannes [Cannes], writes Danas, translation in Albanian Periscopi.

The festival will be held from May 8th to May 19th, and this is the only film from the countries of the former Yugoslavia this year.

This debut film for director Glavonic relates the story of a truck driver during the NATO bombings in Serbia in 1999. As he passes through unknown places that suffer from the effects of war, he does not know, but he does not want to know what transport he is doing even though his load is too much for him over time.

“Nine years ago,” narrates the new director. The “found by chance online two texts on graves at the police camp between Zemun and Batajnica. One involved objects found there, which were civilians who had been thrown there and could be more than seven percent. The second text was for one of the truck drivers who transported the troops, and for his work at that time. I talked to friends, colleagues and all, to see if anyone knows anything more but realized that no one had heard anything about the case. Then I started working on something that a few years later would become my first feature film” he added.

When he found the first mass grave in Batajnica, he was only 16 years old, but had the courage to talk about something that should be silent about in Serbia.

According to him, in the film “Transport” we look at the driver's work. But his journey is done through his fear, his worries, and his doubts; that is, his journey also through himself, and through darkness, the darkness of a society at the time of his decay. At first, the driver doesn't know or even want to know what's being transported into the truck, but the truckload becomes his/barreth over time.

This story is important because it's true,” says director Glavonic. “Use the truth. The truth that people would not hear or know. However, I think my first step in doing something in my life is to face the truth - a given reality. Reality is often dead. Sometimes it's gray, black but it needs to be met. And we have to take responsibility for it. The responsibility is not fashionable words. The main character takes responsibility for what he did and what his generation did. It's the only possible action. ” he added.