Belgrade, March 21, 2024 – The documentary film “Point B” by the young author Nina Marić, which premiered today at the venue Miljenko Dereta in Belgrade, is one of 10 successful media campaigns led by young people that contributes to informing the public about current issues, within the Youth Media Literacy Program of the “Youth for Inclusion, Equality and Trust” project.
During the previous year, forty participants in the project opened numerous important topics and chose mostly digital communication channels with which they wanted to reach as many people as possible. They creatively dealt with topics such as cyber security, youth health, the position of the Roma, the position of women in science and culture, youth labor rights, refugees in Serbia, and gender-based violence.
“The film Point B is the result of our direct cooperation and dialogue with young people. We are extremely glad that they are inspired by a series of workshops and trainings where we talked about media literacy and critical thinking, these young leaders decided to creatively express themselves about these significant issues through this short and authentic film. Through three emotional personal stories, today they are sending their peers, throughout the region, a message about the importance of openness, inclusiveness and the acceptance of diversity,” said Borka Jeremić, head of the United Nations Popularity Fund (UNFPA) office in Serbia.
Through a series of trainings and work with mentors, the young people improved their media skills during the project, which are welcome during the implementation of selected
campaigns and will certainly help them at the beginning of their business careers. “This film, like the other nine campaigns, shows that long-term investments in projects dealing with young people pay off,” said Ana Koeshall, director of the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation. The film “Point B” is the story of three people who, fleeing persecution and conflict, found a safe and better life in Serbia, and who want to stay here. On average, more than 100,000 migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers enter Serbia every year; this film shows the experiences of some of them who have found themselves in Belgrade in search of a safer and better future.
“This film follows the lives of three people who chose Belgrade as their final destination, exploring their stories and the challenges that the search for a safe life brought them,” said the author of the film, Nina Marić. Saliju Saliju, a refugee from Cameroon, one of the film’s protagonists employed at IKEA Serbia, emphasized that his participation in this documentary is important because he believes it is important for people to hear his story. “Serbia is a safe country for me, and I want to stay living here,” said Saliju.
The film “Point B” was implemented as part of the activities carried out by UNFPA in Serbia in cooperation with the Ana and Vlade Divac Foundation through the Youth 4 Inclusion, Equality and Trust project, i.e. “Youth for Inclusion, Equality and Trust,” with the financial support of the Peace Building Fund of the Secretary General of the United Nations and in partnership with UNDP Serbia, UNESCO, and UN Women.