Trauma and ‘Monument’ – key words of today’s workshop

  Workshop by Gordana Todorić ‘How to cope with trauma and how to overcome it’, which was co-managed with psychologist Aleksandar Šibul, was held in the Great Hall of the Cultural Centre of Novi Sad within the programme ‘Freezing Silence Speaks’, dedicated to memory of the victims of Novi Sad Raid. Prior to the workshop there was a screening of ‘Monument’, film by Miroslav Antić.

  Poet Miroslav Antić answer the question ‘How to cope with trauma and how to overcome it?’ through his film ‘Monument’. What is the role of culture and art in overcoming trauma, and what this film says about us today, are questions posed today in this workshop.

– Today, we directed our attention to thematisation of trauma and strategy of overcoming it. Primarily we talked about war traumas, but we also mention inter-ethnic tensions that existed between Serbs and Hungarians in Novi Sad and Vojvodina after the World War II. The second important thing is Antić’s film made in 1968. This year is very important for the art scene of Yugoslavia of that time, and that was the time which ended one very interesting and important period of very liberal attitude of the Government towards art production. Antić’s film, in those days, and in that context, discussed, through a personal view, love relationship between a girl and a boy from different ethnic communities. It speaks about overcoming trauma that some other people caused, on their behalf – said Ms Gordana Todorić.

  Psychologist Aleksandar Šibul added that there are developmental traumas and so called shock traumas. Former occur gradually, primarily in families, and they are related to bad atmosphere, some types of child molesting, lack of emotions, arguments… All of these create a base for development of trauma that later has grave consequences.

– On the other hand, there are shock traumas that are related to certain events. They leave marks on families that lost their loved ones. Every violent and sudden death is a trauma, because processes between the loved ones are not over. Someone ‘leaves’, we have not talked enough, made peace, said goodbye… Shock traumas, like murder, strongly affect families, because the members of the family relive that memory each year and each year they are traumatised. Sorrow is passed down to next generation and that often leads to various diseases. Some of these are addictions – added Mr Šibul.