Tonight in Konjic: promotion of the documentary film “The Mystical Canyon of Rakitnica.”

Tonight, as part of the 19th cultural and educational event “Days of Sejfulah Proho,” organized by KUU “Sejfullah,” a screening of the documentary film “The Mystical Canyon of Rakitnica,” directed by Rubina Smajić, will be held in the cinema hall of the Народни Univerzitet Konjic.

The film “The Mystical Canyon of Rakitnica” tells the story of the human desire to discover and witness something hidden and unreachable, regardless of the difficulties and dangers along the way. The Rakitnica River canyon is 26 kilometers long and is one of the deepest in Europe—reaching depths of up to one kilometer in some places, while being only a meter wide.

The film’s author, Rubina Smajić, has been engaged in hiking, mountaineering, and cycling for many years. Speaking about the film, she noted that she has visited many natural attractions around the world, but also realized that such landscapes exist in our region as well—one of them being the Rakitnica Canyon.

“I have traveled to many places, both in our country and in neighboring regions, across Europe and in many parts of the world—from the Himalayas to the Andes, from Asia and Africa, including Kilimanjaro, to some of the high mountains in the Andes. I realized that we truly have untouched, breathtaking beauty right here, so close to home. We are not even aware of how precious it really is, something we can fully enjoy. I didn’t want to miss the opportunity, and I wanted to preserve it in some way and present it to others,” said Smajić.

The goal is to promote natural beauty for tourism purposes and to initiate the process of including this natural and cultural area on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

“We believed that this area, although already a protected zone, should in the future see the entire course of the Rakitnica Canyon placed under protection. Our goal is to have this area—from its source to its confluence with the Neretva River, and beyond—preserved as an untouched environment and brought under UNESCO protection, as it contains several significant geomorphological sites within the canyon, as well as a rich diversity of plant and animal life. It should be protected from any form of devastation or pollution, so that it remains as it should be. We also believe that establishing a connection with your municipality and your festival would be significant for future cooperation,” stated Rubina Smajić.

The film was shot in 2023, and in 2024 it was screened at the AJB DOC Festival. Last year, it was also shown at the Sarajevo Film Festival, as well as at several other festivals.

The screening of the documentary film “The Mystical Canyon of Rakitnica,” directed by Rubina Smajić, will take place tonight in the cinema hall of the Narodni Univerzitet Konjic, starting at 7:00 PM. Admission is free.

Source of text and photos: Radio Konjic- https://radiokonjic.ba/veceras-u-konjicu-promocija-dokumentarnog-filma-misticni-kanjon-rakitnice/