Elena Čemerka’s documentary ‘Ruini’ premieres at MakDocs Festival

The documentary film ‘Ruini’, directed by visual artist and researcher Elena Čemerka, held its Macedonian premiere at the 17th MakDocs Festival in Kuršumli An on August 24.

The film follows Čemerka’s return to Macedonia to restore the ‘Monument of Freedom’ in Kočani, a modernist structure designed by her late father, architect Gligor Čemerski. The restoration process serves as a medium for the director to confront personal grief, intertwining archival family footage with the physical renewal of the architecture. The film explores themes of memory, heritage, identity, and the connection between personal and collective history.

During the post-screening discussion, Čemerka noted that the project evolved when family video archives provided the film with its ‘soul’. She also addressed the challenges of obtaining necessary permits from official institutions for the restoration. The film is a co-production involving Macedonia, Croatia, and Slovenia, supported by the Swiss Government’s ‘Culture for Development’ project.