Harun Mehmedinovic new coffee table book is worthy of the famous Balkan saying Balkan means blood and honey and this book by one of Bosnias best artists carries on the great tradition of Bosnian artists. You can contribute to the publishing of his photographs and recieve a great reward in return...
ORIGINS OF THE BLOODHONEY* PROJECT
I began taking photographs as a hobby ten years ago, during my studies at UCLA. Twice a year I would drive from Los Angeles to Washington D.C. and back, along Route 40, photographing landscapes. It was a way to disconnect from the daily grind, have a rare moment of solitude, and re-charge for the following six months. This process would later influence my approach to the Bloodhoney* project.
During my travels around the film festival circuit, I met old friends – some of whom I hadn’t seen in many years. Many were rooted in a 9-5 existence, living highly structured, stressful lives. They rarely, if ever, engaged in creative or artistic endeavors. Instead of going to a coffee shop, I proposed that they take a day off, pick a place that has meaning to them, and choose clothes in which they feel like themselves. That was the starting point. From there the idea was to improvise; spontaneity was to be at the heart of the process.
"The Eternal Youth" with Suzana Ognjanovic
Initially, most of the subjects were bored or frustrated. They asked me to give them instructions and wondered what they were doing there. Slowly, their minds began to let go, and they started doing what they felt like: jumping, climbing, wielding props, and taking risks. It felt almost like a return to childhood, physicality took over and the camera was there to capture the energy of the moment, telling a story.
These "séances" sometimes went on for 10-15 hours. They included long hikes through mountains, head-on collisions with hail and snow, walks through swamps and lakes, and quite a few mosquito bites and bruises.
"Waiting for Spring" with Amanda Deprez
The experience of the day was most important, not the resulting images. You could never predict what would come of it, and the idea was to let go and let things come together by circumstance. This is very opposite of the ideas of safety and caution that we are bombarded with by the current society. Although the idea of being in front of the camera while letting go may seem uncomfortable, after these "séances," just about every subject wanted to keep going or do it again. Each shoot was its own unique adventure. The rush of adrenaline and the feeling of being a child again, uninhibited no matter how silly or dangerous, proved to be liberating.
"Passion is a Dance with Fire" with Katherine
I called the project "Bloodhoney" in reference to the Balkans, the region I am from. It is a combination of two Turkish words: Bal, meaning “honey” and Kan, meaning “blood.” The name refers to the bittersweet nature of life, the moments of beauty and the sublime spontaneously captured in the photographs. THE BOOK
"Seance" book cover concept design
Séance will be a 12x12'' 140-page full-color hardcover book when it’s completed, but this will only happen with your support!
Photographs from the Bloodhoney* project will be presented in 12x8'', 18x12'' and 24x12'' formats throughout the book, along with stories about the séances and the people featured in them.
The book will be a Limited Edition release of 500 copies, and each copy will be dated, numbered, and signed by the author.
Given the large dimensions, volume and print quality requirements, this type of a "coffee table" photo book is fairly expensive to print. In order to print only the first 200 copies, cover the shipping, taxes and additional fees, it will cost roughly $15,000. If this Kickstarter campaign raises funds beyond that, the amount of copies will be increased accordingly, until the Limited Edition run of 500 copies is reached.
REWARDS
$10 - Digital Copy of the Book & High Quality Computer Desktop Wallpaper Photo
$25 - Digital Copy of the Book & signed 12x8'' (30x20cm) Photo Print
$50 - One copy of the Limited Edition Book (signed and numbered by the author) & Digital Copy of the Book
$100 - One copy of the Limited Edition Book (signed and numbered by the author) & Digital Copy of the Book & signed 24x16'' (61x40cm) Photo Print
$150 - Two copies of the Limited Edition Book (signed and numbered by the author) & Digital Copy of the Book & Two signed 24x16'' (61x40cm) Photo Prints & Your name in the Thank You section of the book (This award can be adjusted to One copy of the Limited Edition book and three 24x16 prints, per wishes of the backer)
$200 - Two copies of the Limited Edition Book (signed and numbered by the author) & Digital Copy of the Book & signed 36x24'' (91x61cm) Photo Print & Your name in the Thank You section of the book (This award can be adjusted to One copy of the Limited Edition Book and Two signed 36x24'' Photo Prints, per wishes of the backer)
$500 - Three copies of the Limited Edition Book (signed and numbered by the author) & Digital Copy of the Book & Three signed 40x30'' (102x76cm) Photo Prints & Your name in the Thank You section of the book
$1000 - Four copies of the Limited Edition Book (signed and numbered by the author) & Digital Copy of the Book & signed 60x40'' (152x102cm) Limited Edition Photo Print ($2000 value) & Your name in the Thank You section of the book & You get to experience and become a part of the Bloodhoney* project with a commissioned shoot!
* All photo prints will be images of your choice (please choose from the selection of photographs featured on this page) ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I spent my childhood in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a city that was under siege for nearly four years. Upon the conclusion of the Bosnian War in 1996, I moved to the United States and began working as a freelance designer.
I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where I studied screenwriting and theater directing. In 2007, I received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film Directing from the American Film Institute.
My thesis film, In the Name of the Son, premiered at Telluride Film Festival and won over thirty international awards, including Shanghai, Savannah, and Cleveland film festivals. It was the first live action short film to receive an exclusive screening for the members of United States Congress on Capitol Hill. In 2009, In the Name of the Son qualified for an Academy Award in Live Action Short Film category, and became one of only forty films to be considered for the award.
Bloodhoney* photographs have been exhibited internationally and featured by publications including Vogue Italia and the Los Angeles Times. PROJECT LINKS
Official Website: http://www.bloodhoney.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/blood.honey.by.harun.mehmedinovic SELECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS FEATURED IN THE BOOK
"Moments Before the Storm" with Zhanna Rozenbaum
"The Eternal Youth" with Suzana Ognjanovic
"In the Golden Hour" with Sanja Lukac
"All Quiet in the Meadow" with Morgan Ray Kean
"The Spirit" with Murielle Zuker
"Man Invented the Wheel to Conquer the Sun" with Val Morrison
"A Dance in the Temple of Light" with Natalie Kay
"Alice at Dawn" with Zhanna Rozenbaum
"Dance of the Hōrae" with Zhanna Rozenbaum
"She Brings the Rain" with Katherine
"Waiting For Blackfoot to Hunt the Buffalo" with Shelley Leung
"Autumn Wakes the Inner Child" with Anjali Hemphill
"Longing for Summer" with Mary Denman
"Zen in the Eye of the Storm" with Sean Stone
"Tilting at Windmills" with Amanda Deprez
"Liberty Walks Alone" with Ruckika Mandhyan
"A Postcard from a Shepard's Play" with Carrie Moore
"A Place Where Time Once Stopped" with Carrie Moore
1) Do you remember where were you when you realized the war
was imminent? What town and what location in the town?
I was seven years old and leaving my first grade class to go
home. Some of my friends were telling me that I should hurry home, there was a
war coming. I had no idea what this meant. When I got home I wanted to do my
homework but my mom said there was no need, I wouldn't be attending school the
next day. I was confused and scared.
2) Do you remember
where you were when the war broke out, specifically?
I was in my home that I shared with my mother, two younger
sisters and grandparents. My father was away, I did not know where at the time.
We were huddled in the hallway of the lower level of our house. The windows
were boarded up. I remember asking my mom if she knew whether a bullet could
penetrate the walls.
3) Where were you when the war came to your town? Were you
at home, relatives, friends, work?
We were in our home for many days, I don't know exactly. At
one point my mother opened the small bathroom window to see if the neighbors
were still in their home and realized that we were one of the few families that
had not left the village yet. We got a ride from someone into town but my
grandparents refused to leave their home. We had to leave them behind. We
stayed at a hotel in town, sharing the dining room floor with what seemed like
hundreds of people who were in the same situation as us.
4) The most memorable
event of the war for you was?
There were many, but this is one I often replay in my head; it
was late in the night when we heard grenades falling, everything shook. My
mother told me to run to a friend's house that had a basement and she would be
behind with my sisters. I ran on my own through the night with all my might.
Whistling noises of the grenades seemed to surround me, and I wondered if I was
a good enough person to be spared.
5) What made you hopeless during the war?
I kept thinking that somewhere, someone must have seen the
movies the reporters were filming and that eventually we would be saved. The
day never came.
6) What gave you hope during the war?
My mother. She was brave and never let us see her fear.
7) Did you lose anyone close to you during the war?
I lost my youngest sister who was three and a half years
old. I watched her die as my mother carried her in her arms as we ran to the
hospital. A grenade fell in front of our home. She was the only one killed,
many were injured.
Were you wounded during the war? Where were you wounded?
Anyone close to you wounded?
I was wounded. I was grazed by pieces of shrapnel on my
neck, wrist, chest and toes. They were not serious injuries.
9) Your biggest loss
during the war was?
My sister. My innocence. My family that seems to be falling
apart.
10) What was the hardest part about the war?
Not having a normal childhood.
11) Did you leave the country during the war?
We left the country in 1993 and ended up in Gasinci Refugee
Camp where we reunited with my father.
12) 20 years later, what do you think of what happened?
I have no opinion. I am still confused.
13) Are things better or worse than what you expected 20
years later?
For me, better. I am in Canada where I feel safe.
14) Do you think war will return to BiH?
Not likely.
15) What do you think the future of BiH will be?
I think it will take another country ruling our people to
make things somewhat right. Right now it is being run by ass holes that have
learned nothing. The country is full of corruption.
A
response to the shameful explanation by the Former Canadian Ambassador to
Yugoslavia James Bissett on Canadian Television as to why the Srebrenica
Genocide and the War in Bosnia occurred.
James
Bissett explains why there was so little action in the west in the face of
atrocities during the war in Bosnia. Although mandate after mandate was set,
yet ignored by the international community. The illegal UN arms embargo created
a clear advantage to the Bosnian Serb VRS and Bosnian Croat HVO who could rely
on an endless supply of weapons and ammunition.
In addition,
Many power brokers both out in the open and behind the scenes, like Yushi
Akashi, Boutros Boutros Gali and General McKenzie openly and clearly sided with
the Bosnian Serbs following in the treacherous footsteps of Margaret Thatcher
and Lawrence Eagleburger who clearly favored the strongest (militarily) and
largest population group in the Balkans, which happened to be the Serbs.
Bissett’s
explanation that America was responsible for the war in Bosnia is reprehensible
and is just a repeat of what Serb apologists claim. While nearly the entire
international community openly recognizes that almost sole responsibility for
the wars that consumed Yugoslavia belongs to the Serbs. A CIA report covered in
the book “Balkan Battlegrounds” show that through an extensive review of the
war the Serbs were responsible for over 90% of crimes committed in Bosnia
during the war.
Bissett
claims that for Bosnian Serbs what happened in Srebrenica is controversial,
claiming that Bosniaks during the breakout “fought their way across” to free
Bosnian territory is an outright lie not backed by any facts and is completely inaccurate.
Yes, the Bosnian Army’s 28th division led one of three main groups
out of Srebrenica, but to claim they fought their way out is way off base.
Ambushes, choke points and artillery and tanks were laid out all the way along
the path and there was no fighting except at the eventual breakout point across
to Bosnian territory. Almost all men were unarmed and carried no extra
ammunition for their small arms. The idea that he purports that this was soldiers
fighting is just another ridiculous account of blaming the victims and a repeat
of Karadzic’s lies made up after the fact that those killed in Srebrenica were
soldiers who died in fighting. When in fact it has been proven that they were
bussed, herded into collection points,
executed, buried then reburied in order to hide their crimes. There is no
controversy over what happened in Srebrenica happened in cold blood, the facts
have been established over and over again for 17 years except in the minds of
racist nationalists and their apologists, like Bissett, around the globe.
Bissett’s
claim that Tuzla was a “Muslim stronghold” is another use of words to obscure
the truth. Tuzla was the one and only truly multi-ethnic city still left in
Bosnia during the war. He purposefully uses
the terms “Muslim stronghold” in order to raise fear among westerners and makes
an attempt to tie Bosnian Muslims to Muslim extremists which helps to back up
racist Serbian stereotypes of why they started the war in the first place.
His
claim that “roughly the same percentages” of Bosnians and Serbians died during
the war are widely inaccurate. Most Bosnian Muslims killed were civilians, most
Bosnian Serbs killed were soldiers and relatively few Bosnian Croats died
during the war.
Bissett’s
further claims that Srebrenica was used as a base to raid Serbian villages has also
been found to be untrue by the international courts. The Bosnians were starving
and the Serbian villages nearby were chocked full of food and guarded by civilian
defense forces who were heavily armed. The claim that 3,000 Serbian civilians were
killed around Srebrenica is also an outright lie. While it is true that some Serbians died in
that region, almost all were from combat both around Srebrenica, but also with
the Serbian VRS across Bosnia. It has been established that fewer than 400 Serbian
civilians died around Srebrenica during the war.
His
claim that the US started the war mixes two stories; the referendum on independence
being defeated is incorrect. There was a referendum and almost all voted for independence
(most Serbs did boycott this referendum). Also there was an agreement to work
on a loose confederation of States in the early 1990’s but once Slovenia and
Croatia pulled out of these negotiations, it was dead, as Bosnians knew that
meant Serbian domination of Bosnia and rump Yugoslavia.
The
claim of Serbs not wanting to live under “Sharia law” is another example of
Bissett trying to place fear in the
minds of westerners and conjure up images of Iraq, Afghanistan and Osama Bin
Laden.
In the
end he spends less than a minute of the interview talking about what happened
in Srebrenica the next five minutes making excuses for what the Serbs did.
Please
contact this network and point out what he said was wrong, factually
inaccurate, racist and has no place in a discussion on the Genocide that was
committed in Srebrenica by the Serbs against Bosnian Muslims.
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1) Do you remember where were you when you realized the war
was imminent?
I remember very well when few days before Bosnian war broke
out I was sitting in a
coffee shop with my friends. Of course, like everybody else
in that time, we were talking
about politics and possible war that was coming to
Bosnia-Herzegovina. When we left that coffee shop through my head passed
thought “there is not chance that the war does not happen”. I felt so helpless.
2) Do you remember
where you were when the war broke out?
Of course, there are not too many wars in people's lifetime.
I was step away from my
Mechanical engineering diploma in Sarajevo when war broke
out in Bosnia.
3) Where were you
when the war came to your town?
I was at my apartment in Sarajevo. Confused and scared like
everybody else.
4) The most memorable
event of the war for you was?
Unfortunately, many events were memorable in bad sense, but
day when I lost my
Best friend Samir was the most memorable event of the war
for me.
5) What made you hopeless during the war?
Better question would be what didn't make me hopeless during
the war. It would be
Easier question to answer then this one. Almost everything
was making me hopeless during the war, really.
6) What gave you hope
during the war?
When war just started my hope was international community. Later
even that hope I lost.
7) Did you lose
anyone close to you during the war?
Of course, unfortunately. Many close people including my
best friend.
Were you wounded
during the war? Where were you wounded?
No, I wasn't. At least when we talk about physical wound.
Other kind of wounds I think all of us had.
9) Your biggest loss during the war was?
Biggest loss are, of course, people I knew and I loved.
People who unnecessarily died
during the war.
10) What was the
hardest part about the war?
All parts of the war are hardest parts, because there is nothing
normal or easy about war.
Especially in this kind of dirty war like we had in our
country.
11) Did you leave the
country during the war?
After 2 years of the war I left the country.
12) 20 years later,
what do you think of what happened?
I think all of us know what happened. I wouldn't go with
further explanation.
13) Are things better
or worse than what you expected 20 years later?
Some things are better, but some things are worse than I was
expecting. Still, peace is
better then war in any case.
14) Do you think war
will return to BiH?
I can only hope that war will never return to BiH. There is
no winner in the war and I
hope everybody will understand that.
15) What do you think
the future of BiH will be?
Future of BiH should be youth of this country. Young
educated people who are not poisoned with nationalism and hatred. Youth who are
ready to build our mutual and beautiful country called Bosnia-Herzegovina as
place for all people who live in it. I can only hope that this younger generation
will be better than their parents and grandparents.
1) Do you remember where were you when you realized the war
was imminent? What town and what location in the town?
I was in school. My
parents ignored all the advices from our neighbors and friends believing that
the war will not begin and that their neighbors would never do anything to harm
them. Bosanska Krupa, elementary school at that time called “Djuro Pucar Stari”.
2) Do you remember
where you were when the war broke out, specifically?
I was picked up from
school, my father decided to stay and he sent my mom and us kids to go and
visit our aunt that lived in nearby village, because he still did not want to
accept the reality around us.
3) Where were you when the war came to your town? Were you
at home, relatives, friends, work?
On April 21 1992,
when the war started in my hometown I was in school together with a handful of
other students that had the parents that refused to believe war was inevitable.
4) The most memorable event of the war for you was?
it is hard to pick between so many.....funerals, running
from school when the attack starts, all the media coverage about the massacres
in our country...really hard to choose only one – they are all unforgettable.
5) What made you hopeless during the war?
Never knowing if you are going to see your father, uncles
and other family members the next day, constantly waiting to get the word about
the death of your friends and family.
6) What gave you hope during the war?
I guess it was easier for me to be hopeful being a kid.
Adults kept saying that it cannot last forever; it has to be over at some point
and even though they did not believe in that, we did.
7) Did you lose anyone close to you during the war?
Friends, acquaintances, teachers, however I did not lose any
immediate family members.
Were you wounded during the war? Where were you wounded?
Anyone close to you wounded?
I was not wounded; My
grandmother, grandfather, and two uncles were wounded.
9) Your biggest loss during the war was?
My friends and people I knew that died during the war.
10) What was the hardest part about the war?
Not knowing what tomorrow brings, if you will have to run
again, if you will learn that your family members died.
11) Did you leave the country during the war?
No.
12) 20 years later, what do you think of what happened?
As with every war, politicians and people in power played a
game with little people. Manipulated those that were too stupid to think about
the consequences of their actions and clearly heartless enough to follow the
plan that was presented to them. Those in power bounced back again, and the
stupid little people are still trying to recover from years of hatred,
unemployment and painful memories.
13) Are things better or worse than what you expected 20
years later?
I would say worse. I was hoping to see some change, it’s
been 20 years after all, but it seems that we are still standing still, waiting
for a miracle that will bring us all together so we can be one country with one
president and people that are trying to improve that country not undermine it
whenever there is a chance for that. We have three groups of people pulling in
three different directions.
14) Do you think war will return to BiH?
I was refusing to say that for the longest time, but i am
not sure anymore. There are still schools that are segregated, three different
languages that are thought in schools, people calling themselves members of
different countries even though they still live in Bosnia and Herzegovina. I
don’t know what to think.
15) What do you think the future of BiH will be?
I am trying to be
positive, and believe that we can bounce back eventually. One the regular Joe
sees that politicians are idiots trying to still fuel the hatred and undermine
the country; maybe we will have the chance. We are at a point where we have
nothing to lose, no job, no prosperity no hope of a better future. We need
different representatives on the top, those that will work for better of every
religious community, not just one and those that will try to improve the
country and its infrastructure, not just their personal bank accounts.
Here is some photos of the grave bought for Nermin. The money helped the family but they are still in a very difficult position. They live in this small flat and have two small children. The flat is moist and damp very,very small for a family of four.
The father has some heart condition and they live off of almost no money.
My work with the family and this project is finished but I have some contacts with people who help the family and with the family themselves for anyone interested in helping out.
I know I sleep better knowing that Nermin after almost 20 years has a proper final resting place.
Today marks the 20 anniversary of the ARBiH. Twenty years ago Bosnia was already under attack, in 1991 in Ravno were the first ethnic cleansing occurred. Radovan Karadzic declared in congress "The road you are leading down, is the road to hell. You Muslims aren't prepared for war and may disappear". Stark warnings that would prove to be the blueprint for the genocide that was to soon face the Bosnian people and her defenders...Bosnia was ill prepared for what was about to happen to her, it's leaders failed to see what was happening in Croatia and to anticipate that she was next...Avoiding war at all costs when the war was already planned well in advance by the rebellious Bosnian Serb "leaders" it was just the arm, the heart and head lived in Serbia in the Serbian Academy of Sciences. In early 1992 before Bosnian independence already towns like Zvornik, Bijelinja and other towns bordering the Drina were attack. Some Bosnians supported an all defense position that Bosnia should be defended on the Drina and Sava rivers. Politics got involved and the goals from the beginning were obscured by political goals and ideas. The people organized themselves into groups like the Patriotic League, Civilian Defense Forces and Police and MUP forces. Eventually these organizations were reorganized into the ARBiH. Organizing an army in wartime under unbearable circumstances without weapons facing off against the fourth largest army in Europe seemed like a suicide mission and for many it was. Many Bosnians of all nationalities and ethnic background gave their lives in the defense of a unified unitary Bosnia and Herzegovina. Many foreign volunteers’ not just ones from Muslim countries but from Western countries as well gave their lives for the birth of the modern Bosnian nation. The ground in BiH that gave life to the state was nourished by the blood of all those who sacrificed it all to make sure those others could live and that the story of the Bosnian people would continue. On this day of all days we in the world who oppose fascism in all its faces and forms who believe the words spoke about WW2 Germany, “Never again” hasn’t lost its meaning, salute those who fought fascism in Bosnia in all forms and the struggle for peace in Bosnia which continues today.
Funeral of 7-year-old Bosnian Muslim boy Nermin Divovic. Father Paso Divovic, soldier defending Sarajevo, attended the funeral of his son. (Bosnian Genocide)
Thanks to everyone that contributed their time and money to helping the Divovic/Sokolovic family...
Microgiving took almost $100 for funding the project leaving it at $470.00 that they sent my in a check. I recieved an additional $30 through ebay funding. I then spent $20 myself to send the money via Western Union to Dr.Kabil in Sarajevo who took care to ensure the money go to were it was needed most in clothing and food.
I want to thank most of all Samira Tahirovic who has quietly without fanfare or public acknowledgement has helped the family for years. She has sent money herself and actually paid for the gravestone herself about a week before the money arrived in Sarajevo. She is a genuine hero and friend to Bosnian people and has done so much for this family.
The money went to the two brothers of Nermin (one who is named Nermin also) to buy some clothes for school. The rest went to buy them food. In total they recieved 700km from the donations, my friend Edin took them shopping with the money drove them around the city and found the cheapest place to buy food in Sarajevo and paid 20km to send the food home with them in a cab. Thanks for all that everyone did, it was special.
1)Were did you first hear of Bosnia and and Sarajevo
Olympic Games 1984, but of cause I know about Jugoslavia from School.
2) Do you remember where were you when the war broke out?
In Sweden watching TV
3) What made you go to Bosnia during the war? Were where you stationed?
I was UN Military Observer. Prepared to go anywhere. They needed more UNOMs to UNPROFOR. My first posting was to Sarajevo July 1992.
4) The most memorable event of the war for you was?
The bombing of Sarajevo
5) What made you hopeless during the war?
The killing of civilians…
6) What gave you hope during the war?
„Stairway to heaven by Led Zeppelin“. The hope for a lot of people in PTT-building, Sector HQ in Sarajevo
7) Did you lose anyone close to you during the war?
No
8) Were you wounded during the war? Where were you wounded?
No. Only mental…
9) What was the hardest part about the war?
Innocent people that lost family members, houses, trust, hope…
10) Did you leave the during the war?
?do you mean Bosnia? Yes on leave some times..
11) Have you returned to Bosnia since the war?
Yes
12) 20 years later, what do you think of what happened?
Not enough!!
13) Are things better or worse than what you expected 20 years later?
A bit better
14) Do you think war will return to BiH?
Hopefully not – but high risk
15) What do you think the future of BiH will be?
If they want themselves, arrange democracy, respect each other. Yes then it could be bright but I have seen so many examples of how they destroy generations. So if Status Q for three generation then YES!
