За границите, себепознанието и вдъхновението в най-новото балканско кино
On Borders, Self-knowledge and Inspiration in the Latest Balkan Films

Summary/Abstract: Thinking of cultural identities now is part of a broader debate on the pros and cons of globali- sation. The Americanisation of the world is believed to end in wiping out any specific charac- teristics of individual groups or communities. The features Letter to America (Bulgaria/Nether- lands/Hungary, 2000, written and directed by Iglika Trifonova) and Here and There (Germany, Serbia, US, 2009, directed by Darko Lungulov), problematise, on the one hand, a ever more globalising world with its immediate communication, and on the other, the still existing restricted free movement of people, which, however, is far from being the main subject-matter, but rather a backdrop, bringing to the fore the problems under consideration: love, friendship, inspiration and human fear of being alone. Both films come to prove the Balkans’ striving to overcome their backwardness complex, that of being a ‘periphery’ and thus join the international multicultural dialogue. Even though Homo Balcanicus may lack the scope of an American to present himself/herself to the world, he is now self-confident and self- aware enough of the value of his/ her own national specifics and of latter’s contribution to the wealth of national diversities.

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