At 3 p.m. today, the BH Film program will present the documentary THE MYSTICAL CANYON OF RAKITNICA by Rubina Smajić. The Rakitnica Canyon is one of the most beautiful and best-kept wilderness secrets of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Stretching 26 kilometers, it lies between the mountains of Bjelašnica and Visočica. In some places, it reaches a depth of one kilometer and a width of less than one meter. It is among the deepest canyons in Europe and is located about thirty kilometers from Sarajevo. The canyon is uninhabited and largely inaccessible along its entire length, making it a safe haven for wild and endangered animals such as bears, wolves, boars, martens, and chamois. The area around the canyon is also home to more than thirty endemic plant species. Along its entire course flows crystal-clear water that is safe to drink.
Crossing the Rakitnica Canyon is a daring and dangerous endeavor requiring strength, stamina, composure, but above all, determination and mental readiness for any unexpected—and possibly frightening—situations one may face. The canyon is inaccessible to helicopters, and any accident along this route could be fatal. For all these reasons, fewer people have traversed the canyon in its entirety than have traveled to space. Seven adventurers—experienced mountaineers and nature lovers, including filmmaker Rubina Smajić—set out on precisely this expedition. Together with them, we embark on a breathtaking, unpredictable, surprising, and at times dangerous journey—an adventure one may experience only once in a lifetime, and one that many would never dare to attempt.
Their journey lasts four days. Along the way, they witness the untamed beauty of nature and behold unique sights created by centuries-long clashes of water and stone. They also face fear, challenged by wilderness so harsh that even its permanent animal inhabitants sometimes cannot survive it. Fear and challenge thus become the explanation for folk tales told in these regions—stories of real snakes and legendary dragons. Crossing the canyon is an act of confronting and overcoming fear, of testing one’s own abilities, but also a once-in-a-lifetime journey from which our protagonists carry memories of beauty unmatched anywhere else.
This film serves as a reminder of both our natural and cultural heritage, which holds great tourism potential. It also strengthens the initiative to have the Rakitnica Canyon included on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Bojana Vidosavljević
