SIRENA MOG DETINJSTVA - Dokumentarna emisija (međunarodni projekat Raised to Be Free)

Autor i narator: Sara Arsenović

Režija, dramaturgija i muzika: Vesna
Perić

Dizajn zvuka: Zoran Uzelac

Produkcija: Radio Beograd 2 – glavni
i odgovorni urednik Radoman Kanjevac

SARA (NARATOR )

Šta predstavlja pojam slobode? Da li je to
doživljaj lične slobode izbora ili sloboda kao pojam u jednom društvu? Da li je
sloboda generacijski pojam?

Šta za moju generaciju predstavlja trenutak pada
Berlinskog zida? Rekla bih, istorijsku i geopolitičku činjenicu i uvod u raspad
Istočnog bloka. A to je koincidiralo i sa radspadom Socijalističke federativne
republike Jugoslavije. To nije zemlja u kojoj sam ja rođena, ali jesu moji
roditelji. Ona se krvavo raspala i čitavo društvo obeleženo je tom traumom.
Međutim, moja generacija bila je deo poslednje faze te traume, bili smo svedoci
NATO bombardovanja Jugoslavije 1999. godine. NATO
intervencija je počela 24. marta 1999. i bombardovanje civilnih i vojnih
ciljeva trajalo je 78 dana, iako Ujedinjene nacije nikada nisu donele rezoluciju o intervenciji
NATO snaga u Jugoslaviji.

Tada sam imala četiri godine.

Ovo je priča o tome kako je moja
generacija videla i čula NATO bombardovanje i sirene za vazdušnu opasnost.
Priča u čemu smo mi videli svoje parče slobode.

Insert iz vesti RTS – prvi dan NATO
bombardovanja

MIHA

Sećam se prvog dana bombardovanja
najviše. Sećam se das mo išli mojoj sestri da kupimo patike – tata, ja i moja
sestra. Prekoputa naše kuće je Poljoprivredni fakultet i tu sam prvi put čuo sirenu. Ljudi su bili po ulicama i
krenuli su da trče, da beže, svako na svoju stanu. Dobro se sećam jedne žene
koja je krenula da udara na vrata Poljoprivrednog fakulteta koji je bio zatvoren
id a se dere mom ocu vodite decu sa
ulice, da li ste vi normalni gospodine, pobiće nas sve. Znam da smo otišli
kući, da su mama i tata gledali Studio B
i da su nas stavili pod ćebe jedno… Mene i sestru. A oni su sipali rakiju i
nazdravili… Za sreću. Eto, to je prvi dan bombardovanja.

Insert iz TV sapunice „Esmeralda“

NIKOLA

Da, 24. marta meni je bio rođendan i
gledao sam Esmeraldu. Došli su u tom
trenutku moji i rekli su da je počelo bombardovanje. Onda smo sišli u podrum.
Tih narednih dana je stvarno bilo super. Sredili smo podrum, bilo je lepše nego
kod kuće.

Insert iz TV sapunice “Ljovisna”

VANJA

Sećam se da se prva sirena oglasila dok je išla Ljovisna na televiziji, a ta porodica
iznad nas, Markovići… Oni su toliko natrndočili Ljovisnu da nisu čuli sirene. Mi smo se onda popeli gore sa
stvarima, kucali im i bili smo u fazonu: Markovići,
počela je sirena, počelo je bombardovanje, a njih petoro su bili nasađeni
ispred Ljovisne. Onda su se oni
uspaničili i krenuli da se pakuju. Mi smo posle toga otišli na Dorćol zato što
je tamo navodno bila najmanja šansa da se nešto desi po nekim preračunima.
Mnogo smo se igrali, družila sam se sa tom decom koja su bila u zgradi i sa
decom iz okolnih zgrada na Dunavskom keju (sad je tamo sportski centar 25. maj). Sećam se da smo imali pesmu za
koju mi se čini da mi je par ljudi reklo da se i oni sećaju te pesme. Tad je
bio Toni Bler, pa je bila ona pesma…Sećam se samo početka: Ja sam Toni Bler i imam velike uši i nešto, nešto, nešto… Ne sećam
se. To smo stalno pevali i baš smo se mnogo igrali. Neke od tih ljudi i sad
znam, baš se sećam toga i svima nam je drago.

Podrugljiva pesmica Indeksovog radio
pozorišta

SARA (NARATOR)

Porodica
Đuričić je živela ispod nas godinama, pa i za vreme bombardovanja. Naši interni
nadimci bili su Komuna 1 i Komuna 2. I dan danas se tako zovemo, iako su se oni
odselili. Nismo se sakrivali nigde, samo kod Đuričića (oni su živeli sprat
ispod nas). Često nije bilo struje, pa smo sedeli pod svećama. Sećam se i da
smo pili mnogo mleka – kako mi je kasnije objašnjeno, nije bilo čega drugog da
se pije. Komšija Zoka je svirao gitaru.

Znak za vazdušnu opasnost – Avram Izrael

ANA

Krene
sirena i ti samo, ono, grabiš ćebiće… Okej, ja se ne sećam, možda su moji
ugrabili i pare, neku hranu, nešto… Kao, trčiš dole… Još, hvala Bogu, si na
osamnaestom spratu, ideš stepenicama, da ne bude liftom… Trčiš dole u
sklonište, a tamo drugari iz vrtića – isto unezvereni… Neke babe i dede… Tu smo
bili tri večeri, ili koliko je već bilo? Veče za veče. E, posle toga moji su
odlučili da ipak ne idemo u sklonište, što je ispalo sa jedne strane super za
mene sad sa ovog stanovišta kad gledam. Imali smo potpuno ludački komšiluk. Od
šest stanova na spratu, četiri stana apsolutno nisu išla u sklonište od te, na
primer, pete večeri. I sad, okej, krene sirena, pogase se svetla i sve to… Ali,
uz sveće – igra se remi, seče se čajna i malo sira i malo na čačkalicu bocneš.
Onda, ludi komšija ne zna šta će pa uzme igra se sa nama… Pa se jurimo… Četiri
stana otvorena na spratu – igraš se žmurke u mraku. Moji nisu palili TV.
Mislim, palili su, naravno, TV da se informišu, ali nisu puštali da to ide ceo
dan, nego je bio onaj fazon – Politika. Krenu
crtaći ceo dan. Tad smo, bogami, nasnimili jedno trideset kaseta punih crtaća i
samo to – kad su vesti, upale se vesti, kad nisu vesti kaseta sa crtaćima i
vrti od jutra do sutra.

Insert iz crtanog filma

ANA (nastavak)

Imala
sam tog najboljeg druga koji se zvao Igor, ne sećam se kako se prezivao, imala
sam šest godina. Sećam se, bili smo u vrtiću, na drvetu, a njegova mama je
stajala sa strane sa mojom mamom. Kad smo sišli mama je rekla samo: E, pozdravi se sa Igorom, što nikad nije
govorila. Prosto, viđam ga već sutra. Nas dvoje smo se tu zagrlili i nikad ga
više nisam videla, jer su otišli u Ameriku. Toga mi je jako žao zato što mi je
bio najbolji drug iz detinjstva, a oterao ga je rat.

Insert iz vesti Radio Beograda

IVAN

To
je verovatno, sad kad vraćam film unazad posle toliko godina, najbezbrižniji
period mog života. Bio sam dete, na Politici
i Pinku su pičili crtaći po ceo
dan, svi klinci iz kraja su se igrali od jutra do mraka. Uprkos tome što je
bila realna opasnost da svi izginemo, pošto živimo na pet minuta od Avalskog
tornja koji je na kraju i srušen, mislim da je to bio period kada sam se
najsnažnije vezao za neke ljude u životu. Svi iz komšiluka su se vezali jedni
za druge. Kada krenu sirene, odnosno znak da se spustimo u podrume, svi smo
bili po celu noć zajedno. Pičili smo domine… Bio je to toliko jedan lep period
za mene. Mislim da, iz ove perspektive kad gledam, je to najbolji mogući način
bio da prevaziđemo to. Bili smo klinci, nismo kontali šta to zapravo znači.
Verujem da bilo ko makar malo stariji od nas ima drugačije iskustvo. Dečje sam
se plašio, u smislu – kad čujem da nešto pukne, pa se uplašiš jer je puklo
nešto. Ali, da ti znaš da može da umre neko tu pored tebe… Ni na kraj pameti mi
nije bilo, nisam mogao to da zamislim.

Insert iz crtanog filma „Pink Panter“

IVO

Sediš
i gledaš crtaće 24h dnevno. Sećam se da smo non-stop jeli kornfleks, za svaki
obrok. To smo imali – mleko i kornfleks. Moglo je da stoji tri meseca i moji su
toga nakupovali na tone. Najstrašnije mi je bilo kad se probudim u jedan, dva,
tri ujutru kad pukne neka bomba. Onda smo svi izlazili… Cela zgrada je u
suštini izlazila na hodnike i sedeli smo
pod svećama. Svako iznese iz svoje kuće po dve, tri sveće i dve, tri stolice i
na dva sprata centralna u zgradi. Ljudi se skupe i sede, pričaju, zezaju se…
Teško im je, ali prave neku zabavu sebi i deci. Moji su bili stavili dva neka
cegera crna gde su bili napakovali hrane za sedam ili deset dana – par
dugotrajnih mleka, tunjevine, neke konzerve, flaše vode, sveće, gluposti tog
tipa… Da možeš da preživiš sedam dana van kuće. Meni je večito bilo ono što
držimo te cegere… U suštini, ako treba da se beži, ali to nikad nisu hteli da
kažu. Shvatio sam u nekom trenutku čemu služi i uvek mi je bilo muka od tih
cegera koji su stajali pored vrata, kad ih vidim bilo mi je odvratno. Dan danas
mrzim cegere zbog toga i ne želim da ih koristim.

Insert iz crtanog filma „Paja Patak“

Znak za vazdušnu opasnost – Avram Izrael

JELENA

Bili
smo kod bake. Ćošak Solunske i Jevrejske, Dorćol. Svi smo u podrumu i igramo
mau-mau. Moj deda nas je naučio da igramo mau-mau. Igramo Crnog Petra. Crtam
karikature, naučio me jedan momak tu iz komšiluka. Razna su tu deca iz
komšiluka i cela moja porodica… Pomoćni kreveti, dušeci su svuda. Svi se
družimo, svi se volimo… Uglavnom je lepo, iako to možda ne treba da zvuči tako.
Bezbrižno. Roditelji su nas jako lepo štitili. Taj osećaj kuće i danas postoji,
jer je to to. Svi smo se nekako skupili i voleli na istom mestu što nas je
čuvalo od svega što se dešava oko nas.

Insert iz RTS vesti uživo

NINA

Ja
se sećam da sam tada živela kod babe i dede na Novom Beogradu. Ispred
njihovog stana je bila jedna velika
Fontana. Ja sam sve vreme, kad god krenu sirene, mislila da to dolazi iz te
fontane. Imala je oblik sirene i ja uopšte nisam kapirala šta je to.

Zvuk sirene za vazdušnu opasnost

SARA (NARATOR)

U
komšiluku se gotovo svakodnevno igrala odbojka preko jedne kapije do početka
sirena. Jednom sam gledala sa prozora tatu kako igra, sirene su počele ranije
nego inače, svi su psovali i ušli u kuće.

Postojalo
je više naziva za sirene – sećam se samo šizele.

Neko mi je ispričao da sirene zapravo označavaju
vreme za doručak/ručak/večeru, pa sam i ja počela pomalo da verujem u to.

RASTKO

Isto
se oglasila sirena, bilo je nešto u pola noći – dva, tri ujutru, tako nešto.
Svi smo spavali i to svi zajedno u dnevnoj sobi kod babe u stanu na Miljakovcu
koji su inače često bombardovali, jer je tu Straževica. Znam da je bila akcija,
brzo svi u podrum… I ne možemo da nađemo moju čarapu. Sledi cela akcija
traženja moje čarape – svi gde je, šta je sa čarapom…Od cele te akcije tražimo
moju jednu čarapu. Na kraju smo je našli i uspeli da stignemo na vreme. Sećam
generalno i igranja u podrumu sa drugom decom… Bio je neki papagaj tu, ne znam
tačno čiji, ali je bio kavez sa papagajem tu. Svi smo se igrali i ništa nismo
kontali. Ja se sećam tog igranja i bio je lep period stvarno.

Insert iz crtanog filma „Pera Detlić“

JAKŠA

Bili
smo kod nekih prijatelja – neki deo Beograda, ali ja ne znam gde. To je sve
zaboravljeno. U jednom momentu su krenule sirene i mi smo sišli da odemo u
sklonište. Međutim, nije bilo kao kod nas, u okviru zgrade, nego je moralo
negde da se prepešači. To je pometnja neka bila. Shvatio sam ja sa sedam godina
da je to pometnja i da je frka, ali kul – nikad nije grunula bomba… Znao sam da
padaju bombe, to mi je bilo jasno. Ali, nikada nije pala bomba nigde blizu,
nisam ja to čuo, niti osetio, kao da se dešavalo negde druge. Dakle, na tom
putu sa ćebićima u rukama smo pičili preko te poljane i eksplodiralo je nešto
meni iznad glave. To je bio samo naše neki avion koji je išao tamo da presretne
šta već… Ili su mi tako rekli. Nije bilo nikakve eksplozije, nego je probijen
zvučni zid kada vojni avion napiči na jedan mah brzine. To je buknulo negde
iznad naših glava i ja sam se baš osrao od straha.

Vesti Radio Beograda

SARA (NARATOR)

Jedno
sećanje koje nije moje, ali mi je ispričano milion puta – bila sam sa mamom i
tatom kod Đuričića i igrala se na podu kada se čuo jak prasak. Inače, svi su se
trudili da preda mnom ne dižu paniku, pa čak i ne razgovaraju previše o
bombardovanju. Kad se čuo taj prasak svi
su ućutali na sekundu, a ja sam rekla: sigurno je Batajnica.

U Batajnici je poginula trogodišnja devojčica
Milica Rakić koju je pogodio geler.

Muzika

MARKO

Ja
imam samo jedno sećanje, a to je bilo u parku kod Šeste beogradske gimnazije.
Bio sam na ljuljašci i samo se čula sirena. Neka devojčica koja se ljuljala
pored mene je samo nestala, majka je pokupila. Svi su krenuli da beže. Odjednom
sam video svoju babu kako ide ka meni i trči. Ja se ljuljam i kao ništa mi nije
jasno… Čujemo taj zvuk i samo odjednom mahnito me skida sa ljuljaške i kao idemo, idemo… Onda smo trčali gajbi.
Posle smo pobegli u selo. To je to.

SARA (NARATOR) – završna reč

Možda deo borbe sa traumom predstavlja njena
negacija. Možda su zato naša sećanja obojena jarkim bojama crtanih filmova. A
možda je to jednostavno zato što deca uvek pronađu svoje parče slobode koje
osvoje sama, na sebi svojstven način.

O sireni svog detinjstva govorili su:  Ana, Ivo, Miha, Jakša, Jelena, Nikola, Vanja, Marko, Rastko, Mina i Ivan.

THE SIREN OF MY CHILDHOOD

A documentary radio-piece

(international project Raised to
Be Free)

Author and narrator: Sara Arsenović

Director, dramaturge and music: Vesna
Perić

Sound design: Zoran Uzelac

Production: Radio Belgrade 2 – Editor
in chief - Radoman Kanjevac

SARA (NARRATOR)

What does the concept of freedom
represent? Is it an experience of the personal choice of freedom or a freedom
as an idea in one society? Is the freedom a generational concept?

What does the moment of the fall of
the Berlin Wall represent for my generation? I would say it is a historical and
geopolitical fact and the moment of the break-up of the Eastern block. That
coincided with the break-up of Social Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. It's not
the country that I was born in, but it's the country that my parents were born
in. The dissolution of that country was bloody and the whole society has been
marked with this trauma. However, my generation was part of the last phase of
that trauma, we witnessed NATO bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999. NATO intervention
started on March 24th in 1999 and the bombing of civil and military targets
lasted for 78 days although United Nations never made the resolution about the
NATO intervention in Yugoslavia. Back then I was four.

This is the story of how my
generation saw and heard NATO bombing and air-raid sirens. The story about
where we could see our piece of freedom.

Audio clip from Radio Television
Serbia news – first day of NATO bombing.

MIHA

My strongest memory is the first day
of the bombing. I remember we went to buy the sneakers for my sister – dad, my
sister and I. Across our house there was the Faculty of Agriculture and that's
where I heard the siren for the first time. The people on the street started
running, everyone in their own direction. I clearly remember of a woman who
started knocking the faculty entrance door and shouting at my father „Go away,
get the kids out of the street, are you out of your mind! They're gonna kills
us all“. I remember we went home, mom and dad were watching TV Studio B and
they tucked us under a blanket… me and my sister. And they poured a brandy for
themselves and said „Cheers!“. For luck. So, that was the first day of the
bombing.

Audio insert from TV soap opera
„Esmeralda“

NIKOLA

Yes, it was my birthday on March 24th
and I was watching „Esmeralda“. My folks just came and said that the bombing
had started. Then we went down to the basement. Those following days were
really great. We made the basement and it looked even better than our home.

Audio insert from TV soap opera “Llovisna”

VANJA

I remember that the first siren started howling while TV soap
opera “Llovisna” was on the air, and this family whose appartment was above
ours, the Markovićs… The put the show on so loud that they couldn't hear the sirens. We
climbed upstairs with our stuff, we knocked on their door and we were, like
„Markovićs, the siren is on, the bombing has started!“ and found five of them
stoned in front of „Llovisna“. Then they started panicking and started packing.
Afterwards we went to Dorćol because allegedly there was a less chance for it
to get bombed. We were playing a lot, I made friends with the kids from the
block and the kids from the homes near Danube river, Sport Center „25th May“ is
there now. I remember we had a mockery song and some other people told me they
also remember that song, Tonny Blair was in it… I remember only the beginning
„I am Tonny Blair and I have big ears“ and something like that. I don't quite
remember. We were singing that all the time and we were playing. Some of those
people I meet even now and we are all pleased to have met.

Mockery song by “Index theatre radio”
show

SARA (NARATOR)

Đuričić family used to live in an
appartment below. We used to call ourselves Commune 1 and Commune 2. Even today
we use those names, although they moved. We didn't go to the shelter, we just
went donwstairs to their home. Often the power was cut, and we had our time
under the candle lights. I remember we drank a lot of milk – as I was told
later, there wasn't anything else to drink. The neighbour Zoka used to play the
guitar.

Air-raid announcer – emblematic voice
of Avram Izrael

ANA

The siren goes on, and you just,
like, grab your blanket… OK, I don't remember, maybe my folks used to take some
money, some food, something… And you start running downstairs to the shelter,
we lived in 18th floor, and there you meet your friends from the
kindergarten, also in shock. And some
old folks… We spent there three nights, or something… Night after night… and
after that my folks decided not to go to the shelter anymore, which was a great
decision, looking from today's perspective. We had such a crazy neighbourhood.
Four out of six families in our floor didn't want to go to the shelter from
the, let's say, fifth night that bombing started. And so, the siren is on, the
lights are turned off and all… And under the candle lights, people play cards,
play Rummy, they slice some sausage, some cheese. And there was this crazy neighbour
who is bored and he starts playing with us kids… and we're chasing. Four
appartments are opened in our floor and we play hide-and-seek in the dark. My
folks didn't turn the TV on. I mean, they did only for the breaking news but
there was Politika TV station all day long, the cartoons. Then we recorded
about 30 VHS with cartoons. And that was it – when there are news, we watch the
news and afterwards we watch cartoons
all they long.

Audio insert from animated cartoon
„Food Around the Corner“

ANA
(continued)

I had this best friend, his name was
Igor, I can't remember his last name. I was six. I remember we were in the
kindergarten, we climbed the tree, and his mom was standing aside with my mom.
And when we got off the tree, my mom just said „Say goodbye to Igor“, which she
never used to say. I was, like, I'm gonna see him tomorrow. Two of us hugged
each other and I never saw him again, they left to the US. I'm so sorry because
of that because it was my best childhood friend and the war chased him off.

Audio insert from Radio Belgrade news

IVAN

For me, going down the memory lane,
this was probably the most careless period of my life. I was a child, animated
cartoons were broadcast on TV Politika and TV Pink all day long, all the kids
from the hood were playing from morning till dawn. Despite the clear and
present danger of being killed since we lived next to the Avala tower that has
been bombed and destroyed at the end of the day, I think this was the time of
my closest connections to the people in my life. All the people from the
neighbourhood got close. When the air-raid siren were on, alarming us to go
downstairs to the basements, we used to spend all night together. We played
dominoes… It was such a beautiful time for me. From this perspective, I find it
the best way to overcome all that. We were kids and we couldn't understand the
meaning of that. And I believe that someone who's just a little bit older than
us surely had a different experience. I was afraid just the way the kids are
afraid – when I hear the blast I got scared. But knowing that someone could
have been killed… no, I just couldn't figure that out.

Audio insert from animated cartoon
„Pink Panther“

IVO

You're sitting there watching
cartoons 24/7. I remember us eating corn flakes every day, every meal. That's
what we had – a milk and corn flakes. You could use it for months and my folks
bought tons of it. The time I was scared to death was when I'm woken up in the
middle of the night when a bomb explodes. Then we used to go out, everyone gets
out of their appartment into the lobby, gather together, sitting under the
candle lights, talking, joking… It's hard for them but they kind of making a
party for themselves and their kids. My folks put two black bags filled with
food for seven or ten days – couple of
milk packages, tuna cans, bottled water, candles and stuff… Enough for
you to survive for a week out there. And I was asking myself all the time, why
do we keep those bags… In fact, we kept them in the case of emergency, if we
had to flee. And at one point I figured out the purpose of it and I was always
sick of those bags near the entrance door, it was a disgusting setting. Even
today I hate them and I don't want to use those bags.

Audio insert from animated cartoon
„Donald the Duck“

Air-raid announcer – emblematic voice
of Avram Izrael

JELENA

We were at granny's. The corner of
Solunska and Jevrejska street in Dorćol neighbourhood. We are all in the
basement and we play mau-mau card game. And we play Black Peter also. I draw
caricatures, some boy from the hood showed me how to draw. There are lot of kid
s from the neighbourhood and my whole family. There are spare beds and
mattrases. We spend time together, we care for each other. It's mostly nice
although I guess it shouldn't be. Careless. Our parents protected us. That
feeling of home exists even today, because that's it. Somehow we got together
and loved each other and that protected us from everyting that happened
outside.

Audio clip from Radio Television
Serbia news – Belgrade under air-raid, a
journalist interviewing firefighters and people.

NINA

I remember I used to live at my
granny's and grandpa's in New Belgrade. Outside their home there was a huge
fountain. Everytime when the air-raid siren was on I thought the sound was
coming from the fountain. It was shaped like a siren and I just couldn't get
it.

Air-raid siren

SARA (NARRATOR)

The volleyball has been played almost
every day in my neighbourhood until the beginning of air-raid siren. Once I was
watching my dad playing, air-raid siren started earlier than usual, the players
started cursing and went home. There were a lot of nick-names for those sirens
and I remember only one - „crazyrella“.

Someone told me that sirens in fact
indicate the time for breakfast/ lunch/ dinner so I started believing so.

RASTKO

The air-raid siren started, it was in
the middle of the night, two, three in the morning, something like that. We
were all asleep, alltogether in the my grandma's living room in Miljakovac – it
was heavily bombed since Straževica, the military base, was nearby. And I
remember we started rushing to the basement… but could't find my sock. And the mission of finding my sock started –
everyone goes „where is it, where is it?“… Finally we found it and managed to
get down to the shelter on time. And I remember us kids playing in the
basement. There was even a parrot, I can't remember whose was it, but there was
a parrot in the cage. We were all playing and we didn't have the slightest idea
about the situation. I remember that, those were good times.

Audio clip from animated cartoon
“Woody Woodpecker”

JAKŠA

We were at our friends place, some
Belgrade neighbourhood, I can't remember where exactly. It's all forgotten. At
one moment the air-raid sirens started and we went downstairs to the shelter.
However, the shelter wasn't down in the basement as in our building, but we had
to walk to it for a while. A commotion started. I was seven I was aware it was
a big fuss and a furor but, hey, it's cool, the bomb never exploded. I know
there was bombing, I realized it. But I never heard a bomb dropped somewhere
nearby, just as it happened somewhere else. So, on our way with those blankets
we were walking across that field when something just exploded above my head.
It was just our army's aviation, a counter air-raid airplane. Or it's just what
they told me. There was no explosion, just breaking the sound barrier when the
airplane drove so fast. It has exploded somewhere above our heads and I was
deadly scared.

Radio Belgrade news.

SARA (NARRATOR)

This is a memory that is not exactly
mine but I have been told a million times – I was with my mom and dad at
Đuričićs' place and I was playing on the floor when we heard a huge blast. All
of them tried not to panick when I was around, they even tried not to talk much
about the bombing. When we heard the blast all of us silenced for a second, and
then I said: „It must be Batajnica“

In Batajnica (nearby military
airport) a three-year old little girl Milica Rakić got killed ather home.
A grenade fragment killed her.

Music

MARKO

This is the only memory that I have,
it was in the park near the Sixth Belgrade Gymnasium. I was swinging and the
siren started. A girl was swinging next to me and she just disappeared, her mom
took her. The people started running. Suddenly I saw my grandma rushing to me.
I'm still swinging and I don't understand a thing. We hear that sound and she
furiously takes me off the swing and says, „Let's go, we must go!“… and then we
started running home. Then we went to the country. And that's it.

SARA (NARRATOR) – closing lines

Maybe a part of the struggle with
trauma is its negation. Maybe our memories are colored with vivid colors of
animated cartoons. And perhaps it's simply because the children always find
their own piece of freedom and they claim it in their own way.

Those people were speaking about the
siren of their childhood: Ana, Ivo, Miha, Jakša, Jelena, Nikola, Vanja, Marko,
Rastko, Mina i Ivan.