WEDNESDAY 19 SEPTEMBER

Something old, something new

“The Four Rooms of Mrs. Safija” comprises a restaurant, wine and cocktail bar, lounge, and a flower-filled summer garden. The first venue of its kind in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the “Four Rooms” offer an unforgettable ambience which celebrates the legend of a forbidden love affair between the beautiful Safija from Sarajevo and Johan, an Austrian Count, during the transition period from Turkish to the Austro-Hungarian rule. Safija’s house was built in 1910 as a monument of love, beauty and fortitude. Modern designers have crafted the interior with exceptional care, paying attention to every single millimeter of past embedded in the walls of Mrs. Safija’s rooms. The restoration has maintained the atmosphere of the four rooms completely intact, which was the ultimate objective of the owners. While all of the rooms have been decorated with a specific purpose in mind, their history has nevertheless been preserved. The oriental-style, architecture and the interiors were decorated with fretwork and filled with an interesting and eclectic mix of ornaments that blend into a unique ethnographic display. To read more on Safia’s love story click here.

Upon their arrival, participants will receive a welcome drink while having a chance to enjoy the beautiful ambience of the garden or the restaurant (weather depending), and to watch a performance of Sofia’s love story.  In addition to this, participants will also have a chance to take a tour of Safijas house and hear about its history. Then dinner will be served.

Following dinner, participants will be entertained by part of one of the most popular groups in BiH, “Dubioza kolektiv” – Diskobajagi, which through an audio-visual performance, in an entertaining but also a provocative way, will give the participants a chance to see and hear the old and new Sarajevo.

“”Dubioza kolektive” are known for their fresh take on hip-hop, reggae, dub, rock and Bosnian folklore. The group has already established itself as being among the best and most popular live entertainers in Eastern Europe, and persuasive leaders in the fight for social change. Diskobajagi is a audio-visual crew established in 2008. The life performance of Diskobajagi will give you a glimpse into an interesting approach to DJ-ing and VJ-ing, mixing music and video, cutting and slicing through music videos, documentaries, movies, commercials and creating unexpected mash-up combinations.

Venue address:

The Four Rooms of Mrs. Safija
Četiri Sobe Gospođe Safije
Čekaluša 61
71000, Sarajevo
http://www.4sgs.net

Duration:  20:00 – 22:00

Transport arrangements:

1. Hotel Bristol and Holiday Inn
 Gathering of all guests in the Hotel lobby at 19:30
 Bus departure at 19:40
 Picking up guests at Holiday Inn at 19:50

2. Other Hotels (Europe, Astra Garni)
 Gathering of all guests in the Hotel lobby at 19:35
 Bus departure at 19:45

 Planned arrival at Safija’s house is at 20:00

THURSDAY 20 SEPTEMBER

From Sophia Loren to Angelina Jolie

The world premiere of the movie “The Battle of Neretva” took place on 29 November 1969, which in fact was a part of the opening of the Skenderija hall in Sarajevo. Besides Josip Broz Tito and the entire political elite at that time in Yugoslavia, and in the presence of the local stars, the premiere took place in the presence of three thousand delighted viewers; among them were Orson Welles, Yul Brynner, Maria Schell, and Silva Koščina. Some sources even reported the presence of Sophia Loren and Omar Shariff. The centre “Dom Mladih“ was just one part of Skenderija and occupies about 7000 square meters, representing a cultural site of the city where some pop-rock bands were esteemed into some of the most famous, but also where they held the worlds most famous cultural events and film prmieres. During the war years, the hall burnt down, but in 2005 was restored and put into function again. After the 4-year-long siege of Sarajevo, and with an intention to recreate the civil society of City, in 1995, the Sarajevo Film Festival was founded. Throughout all of the years, the Sarajevo Film Festival has become the most important cultural event, which brings together some of the most important film artists of our time, but also transforms the city for a period of seven days into a world centre. Although the film industry in BiH is not supported by the state, it is still one of the most successful in the country, and as a result BiH films were awarded the Oscar, Golden Bear, Felix, Silver Leopard, The Grand Prix from Cannes and many other prestigious awards from international festivals. Angelina Jolie, John Travolta, Penelope Cruz, Mickey Rourke, Morgan Freeman, Kevin Spacey, Brad Pitt, John Malkovich, Bono Vox, Orlando Bloom, Nick Nolte, Jeremy Irons and Gilian Anderson are just a few fans of the Sarajevo Film Festival. You should also discover the magic of the Sarajevo Film Festival… In the beautiful centre “Dom Mladih” we will organise a gala dinner, which willl add a feeling of glamour of the Sarajevo Film Festival. With a photo exhibition of film stars that attended SFF, through socialising with Oscar winners, video projection and the broadcasting of BiH films, as well as a performance by a band, you would have the opportunity to be part of the magic that Sarajevo experiences. The nine day festival turns the city into a place one needs to be part off, and this is when the citizens of Sarajevo organise their lives according to the festival, because at that time the city breathes the “Spirit of Sarajevo”, that so many times in the past  has kept the citizens alive. The red carpet, paparazzi, dress code and  gala dinner will make you feel like Angelina Jolie.  

Venue address:

Centar “Skenderija”
Dom Mladih, Terezije bb
71000, Sarajevo
http://www.skenderija.ba

Duration: 20:00 – 22:00

Transport arrangements:

1. Hotel Bristol and Holiday Inn
 Gathering of the guests in the Hotel lobby at 19:30
 Bus departure  19:40
 Picking up guests at Hotel Holiday Inn at 19:50

2. Other Hotels (Europe, Astra Garni)
 Gathering of all guests in the Hotel lobby at 19:35
 Bus departure at 19:45

 Planned arrival at Dom Mladih is at 20:00