Film club network "New Take"

Established in 2022, the film club network "New Take" is a grassroots initiative where — analyzing films by applying critical lenses such as formalism, contextual analysis, or feminist theory — young people discuss key regional and global issues, including the environmental crisis and gender inequality, as well as explore the inherent humanity of differing cultures and identities. In addition, all club members get opportunities to develop as filmmakers — with exclusive workshops dedicated to the basics of DIY documentary filmmaking. In February 2023, after months of negotiations, approval of the EU Commission's DG NEAR was granted to launch the first Western Balkan online film club (part of the "New Take" network) — in the format of an independent project executed by Young European Ambassadors (YEAs - https://webalkans.eu/en/yea/). The Western Balkan online film club includes members from all six countries of the Western Balkans (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia), connecting young people from all across the region. Just like in-person "New Take" film clubs, the online club is intended to combat discrimination and harmful stereotypes, contribute to the post-war reconciliation and peacebuilding in the Western Balkans, and advance SDGs 5, 12, 13, and 16. Another peacebuilding effect that is unique to the online club is its role as a virtual platform where young people from different Western Balkan countries interact and exchange ideas. As a result of that process, harmful stereotypes related to ethnicity — and other aspects of human identity — are being gradually replaced with connections to real people. One of the key priorities of the "New Take" network is to raise awareness and inspire action related to our region's environmental issues. With the support of the GAIA Fellowship by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), one of the world’s largest environmental education organizations (100+ member organizations in 81 countries), our network developed a study module dedicated to ecocriticism — and hosted several workshops to teach club members how to make short documentary films that investigate a local environmental issue. All those who decided to develop a film had a chance to have their work presented at the UN COP summit.