By Lejla Biogradlija and Kemal Zorlak
SARAJEVO (AA) – Turkish global news agency Anadolu's documentary The Evidence will be screened on Saturday, the second day of the 7th International Al Jazeera Balkans Documentary Film Festival (AJB DOC), which is being held this year in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Evidence, which focuses on evidence of Israel's war crimes in the Gaza Strip, includes exclusive photos and images taken by Anadolu reporters, as well as expert interviews.
Following the screening, Omer Faruk Tunc, a member of the documentary team, will take part in a Q&A with the audience.
Anadolu is the global communications partner for the festival, which kicked off on Friday at the Bosnian Cultural Center with a large number of people in attendance as the event will conclude on Tuesday.
This year's festival, themed Justice?, aims to shed light on the suffering of the Palestinian people, who have been subjected to extensive and brutal Israeli attacks since Oct. 7 of last year, killing over 41,000 people and leaving much of Gaza in ruins, its people homeless, and on the verge of starvation.
Israel faces accusations of genocide for its actions in Gaza at the International Court of Justice.
The opening night featured the 2024 film Where Olive Trees Weep, directed by Maurizio Benazzo and Zaya Benazzo, which depicts the struggle of the Palestinian people.
AJB DOC Director Edhem Foco, who appeared on stage wearing a shirt with the Palestinian flag, addressed the audience with the slogan “Free Palestine.”
He also invited all Sarajevans who stand for justice to watch the festival’s documentaries.
Ahmed Mahfouz, director of the Al Jazeera Documentary Channel, also expressed a desire to raise awareness about the situation in Gaza through documentaries.
Ashira Darwish, a Palestinian journalist and therapist who appears in the featured documentary, said Sarajevo understands what it means to be under siege.
"It is very important for Al Jazeera Balkans to show the realities in Palestine here. What is being done to us must stop now. Enough. Palestinian children should not suffer any more,” Darwish said.
In addition to documentaries about Israeli violence against Palestinians, the festival will include 24 films about global economic and political turmoil.
The jury for the festival includes Deborah London-Harrington, Namik Kabil, Mila Turajlic, Francesco Montagner, and Myriam Francois.
The competition section of AJB DOC will award three prizes: the AJB Main Award, the AJB Program Award, and the Audience Award.
The festival will also hold Industry Days, which will include panel discussions.