Even if you’ve never been to the island of Brač, you’ve surely heard about one of its attractions. Be it the world-famous Golden Cape beach in Bol town or their indigenous dish vitalac, Brač has a lot to offer.
To present the public with all the other wonders of the Dalmatian island, director of the Bol library Jadranka Nejašmić and film director and photographer Šime Strikoman have joined forces for a unique project called ‘Bročko Blogo’ (Treasures of Brač). They have already filmed documentaries titled ‘BookBol’, ‘Dragon’s Village’ and ‘Brač: Stone and Water’, and now they’ve set off to present 10.000 years of the island’s history in their most ambitious project so far.
They’re planning to film around 20 stories with the characters speaking in all dialects used on Brač, along with subtitles in English to make the documentary accessible to wider audience. The initiative is a part of the larger Strikoman’s project called Terra Croatica, in which he drew attention to selected gems of Croatian cultural and artistic heritage in 14 themed collections of photographs. Apart from numerous Croatian libraries, an edition of Terra Croatica was ordered by the Bibliotheque Nationale de France.
Nejašmić and Strikoman already filmed two episodes, one set in the prehistoric age when the area was populated by ancient Dalmatians, a tribe belonging to the Illyrian people; the other is taking place in the Roman quarry of Rasohe. Nejašmić designed the costumes and made them herself; she also procured all the props. Ivica Nižetić made replicas of ancient jewellery and decorative items designed after the original artefacts that are on display in the Archaeological museum in Split. A group of residents of Gornji Humac, aged 5-75, volunteered as extras, while Strikoman directed and filmed the whole thing.
The episodes are composed of scenes showing typical situations from everyday life of our ancestors: children playing, stonemasons at work, people offering sacrifice to ancient gods. All of the scenes are set in different locations on Brač island that were inhabited from the prehistoric age. Nejašmić and Strikoman are planning to film a few more episodes by the end of this year, including the early age of Christianity, the cult of St.George, and the villas at Trolokve. Next time you plan a visit to Brač, you’ll have the chance to prepare first by peeking into the incredible historic heritage and tradition of the gorgeous island. We can’t wait for the first episodes to broadcast!
