"Pour the Water as I Leave" Film Fundraiser

Just today I learned about this fundraiser event happening Friday, March 31 to support “Pour the Water as I Leave.” This is a 90-minute animated, narrative/documentary hybrid feature film about the Bosnian War and its refugees, currently in production in Portland. There will be music, food and drink, among other things.

The 1990s

A lot of us think back to the 1990s and feel nostalgia for that time here in the U.S.—we had a balanced budget; rents were more affordable; there was great music being produced; and the angst brought about by 9/11 wasn’t with us yet. Of course, this is a rosy view and there were conflicts all over the world during that time—the Rwanda genocide comes to to mind, as well as the fight over Kosovo, and the Bosnian War from 1992 to 1996.

The Bosinan War led to a refugee population of 2 million who dispersed all over the world (there are an estimated 84 million refugees worldwide). Here, too, in Portland there are Bosnians who fled. The director of the film, Daniela Repas, lives here in Portland.

The Film and the Event

From the fundraiser, about the film:

“Pour the Water as I Leave is a 90 minute animated, narrative/documentary hybrid feature film. It tells a story about what happened to Bosnians 25 years ago and how it relates to 84 million refugees all over the world today. Structured as a hybrid of narrative and documentary, the story bridges past and present of seven Bosnians currently living in the USA. Daniela Repas, film director, threads her Bosnian heritage, experience of war and refugee life throughout this Balkan saga, inviting the audiences to dance amongst the rubble and rise into the new.”

Curious about the name of the film? The PSU Vanguard writes that it derives from “the Bosnian tradition of pouring water behind a guest as they leave to wish them a safe journey.” (My relatives of Persian descent also do this.)

As mentioned above, “Pour the Water as I Leave” is a hybird film—live action becomes animation. They’ve filmed the live action part; now they need to animate it. The fundraiser is focused on this part in the production. Taking place on Friday, March 31 from 5pm to 10pm, guests will get to enjoy Bosnian food, drink, an art exhibition, live Balkan music and dance, a “first-look” at part of the film, a “Feed the Need” live fundraiser, and a chance to meet and support the Portland Refugee Support Group. The filmmakers and interviewees will also be there.

If you can’t make it on Friday but want to support “Pour the Water as I Leave,” you can participate in the online auction and virtual exhibition. Tickets to the Friday event are $50 and tickets to the virtual exhibition are $25 (buy tickets here). The event is produced by Shrine13 and Six Billion Suns Productions, and hosted by Sator Projects. The exhibition is funded in part by the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

When I lived in Queens, the Bosnian population was visible to me through the various mosques and restaurants in the borough. When I lived in the Bay Area, I spent a number of years learning dances from around the Balkans. I almost went into ethnomusicology to study the music of the region. In 2012 I spent a little time in Montenegro and it was one of the best times of my life. The Balkans mean a lot to me, and I’m happy to tell you about this fundraiser—and, for the purposes of this blog, I expect the food will be excellent.

I look forward to watching this film when it’s complete.

Fundraiser for Pour the Water as I Leave
Friday, March 31, 2023
5pm to 10pm
Sator Projects, 220 SE Market Street, Portland
satorprojects.com/exhibitions/ptwailexhibition
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