As Far as I Can Walk / Strahinja Banović

Strahinya and his wife Ababuo left Ghana at the beginning of the emigration crisis. They were able to reach Germany and from there were sent to Belgrade. Strahinya does his best to start a new life and obtain the right of asylum. But the procedure is very long, and Ababuo, an intense woman, dreams of becoming an actress in London. A free adaptation of a Serbian epic poem.

“At the inner core of our film there is something very intimate. A love story. A story of an obstinate, unusual, and beautiful love. The story of a man who infringes on the rules of society and risks everything for love.“ Stefan Arsenijević

I wanted to do a modern adaptation of one of the most important epic texts of Serbian tradition, the medieval poem Strahinja Banović. It dawned on me: and what if in this new adaptation the Serbian folk hero was a young African immigrant?  What influence would that have on our comprehension of our national heritage and identity?”  Stefan Arsenijević

“The character of Strahinja Banović in our film was inspired by Ibrahim Ishak, a young man from Ghana who lives in a refugee camp in Krnjača. Just like Strahinja in the film, Ibrahim filed for asylum and is still waiting for an interview with the Serbian administration. As he is undocumented, Ibrahim is not authorized to work and is therefore volunteering at the Red Cross. He also practices with the local football club, but he won’t be able to play officially until he is granted asylum. Nevertheless, Ibrahim is optimistic and enthusiastic about staying in Serbia.” Stefan Arsenijević