Bojana Novaković, an actress with an address in Australia and New York, has been coming to Serbia in recent years to shoot films Haircut, Optimist i Forbidden aunt. Now, however, she is the coordinator of the "March from the Drina" campaign and an indispensable part of civil environmental protests.
For her, she says, it was natural, because she has been organizing protests or dealing with them since she was 13 years old. "Money was never mentioned in our house, so the neoliberal profit model never inspired me in any way."
She saw her, says Kristina Urošević from the "Go-Change" movement at a protest in New York and asked her to hand over their petition against police brutality at the protests in Belgrade in July 2020 to the United Nations.
"I came into contact with the diaspora that was involved in this problem all over the world, we formed the Collective Action Serbia (KAS) network, so the topic of Rio Tinto came into focus. We owe a lot to the diaspora and I want to emphasize how Serbian identity is developing not only on our shores, but also abroad. I then coordinated a group of local associations, and that's how the March from the Drina was born. This is a great community."
She says that the reaction of the New York diaspora regarding police brutality at the 2020 protest in Belgrade "changed her personal attitude towards Serbia. Then I delved into the topic of extraction, the propaganda of the green transition and its consequences on the local association, I got to know the locals from Ne Damo Jadar, and - the rest is history. "
Bojana Novaković says that before that, she had not even heard of Loznica. This he points out "because it is important that not knowing enough about a topic should not be an obstacle for anyone. If I can learn about Loznica, and what a spatial plan for special purposes is, what a landfill is and what ore processing means, everyone can."
When asked about the results of the protests, she always says that she is optimistic. On what realistic basis does such an expectation rest?
"First, we have the power. Power is freedom. Power is facts. They are on our side. Power is not what police officers wear on their belts. Nor is power profit. Power is not to manipulate promises and lies like Vučić. It's an illusion. We don't want money and profit. That is our power. We want to protect the Drina, to protect food production, to preserve biodiversity. And the people who should work for the state are focused on profit and domination. Domination is not power. The dominant function is capitalism and occupation."
He says Rio Tinto's ad "let them know that they're so scared of our movement that they're spending enormous amounts of money on marketing." When Kreni Promeni made a commercial, RTS did not want to broadcast it. This means that it is dangerous for business. Success again. Then that ad got more views on social networks than it would ever get on RTS."
Ten days ago, while she was camping with the inhabitants of Gornji Nedeljice in front of the Serbian Presidency building protesting against the exploitation of lithium and boron, her colleague Johnny Depp was receiving a gold medal from President Aleksandar Vučić.
"The American who beat his wife received the Order of Serbia, while the Serbs who defend their country are legitimized. If that's not a metaphor for the state of this country, and proof of the psychopathy of this government, I don't know what is," says Bojana Novaković about that event.
The media must point out that she acted with famous Hollywood actors. How do they comment on her activism in Serbia? "I think it's time to stop empowering my work because of the fact that I ride motorcycles with Keanu Reeves or because I once played Mel Gibson's daughter." I would do what I do even if I didn't know them. And as much as I love them, their opinion would never change what I do."
But, he says, he wants to talk about other people.
"About Stephen Donziger, who is one of the best environmental lawyers in the world and who supports our movement and talks about us around America." About Jovana Amidžić, who studies political science and invests every free moment in this movement. About Ljilja, Zlatko, Marijana who, while living in endangered areas, find the strength to be funny. About Isidora, who designs for us, and Ivan, who was punished for putting up graffiti of the March from the Drina in Požega, and another Ivan, who films all our protests and edits videos in his spare time."
"I thank Rio Tinto for allowing me to meet them." Thanks to the collaboration with Kian and Mel, I have a bit of attention. Now it's my turn to turn my attention to the people I work with."
Sonja Ciric
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