Was bleibt I Šta ostaje I What Remains / Re-visited

Geleitet von der Frage, ob an einem Ort des Schreckens auch ein Schrecken sichtbar wird, bereiste Clarissa Thieme 2009 Bosnien- Herzegowina und drehte je eine Einstellung an Orten, an denen während des Bosnienkrieges zwischen 1992 und 1995 Menschen vergewaltigt, gefoltert und ermordet worden waren. Zehn Jahre später macht sie sich erneut auf die Reise und entfaltet an jedem der einst besuchten Orte ein wandgroßes Plakat mit einem Still aus dem Film von damals. Das provoziert Reaktionen zwischen Teilnahme und Ablehnung, die die Konstanten der Geschichtsschreibung zeigen: Erinnerung und Verdrängung. (Alexandra Seitz)

Remote villages in hilly, pastoral landscapes, occasional traffic noise, most of the time tranquil scenery with people passing by. One might wonder what’s so special about the places which the crew of this film have come to shoot. 11 years ago, German filmmaker Clarissa Thieme travelled to Bosnia and Herzegovina to create single fixed shots of various sites of rape, torture, and killings during the Bosnian War. Thieme now returns with a billboard-sized picture of each scene from back then, holding them in front of the camera at the same angle they were framed at before. The underlying question being posed by this project is whether the atrocities committed in the past have become visibly inscribed into these inconspicuous locations. Shot in precise tableaux by cinematographer Christine A. Mayer, WAS BLEIBT draws a line between the unthinkable and the limits of addressing it. This film is not keen on political discussions but shows a surprising lightness of touch on an obviously heavy topic. Curious about what’s going on, the residents are happy to randomly dig into the past. WAS BLEIBT is not so much an investigation but an intervention for all the senses. Metaphorically speaking, soft green has grown over the wounds of torn soil at some places, while others still remain bleak. (Gunnar Landsgesell)

Clarissa Thieme: THE PLACE WE LEFT (2012), TODAY IS 11TH JUNE 1993 (2018), CAN’T YOU SEE THEM? – REPEAT. (2019)