Other Talking Points

Besa Luci in conversation with Gentiana Paçarizi and Aulonë Kadriu.  We are leaving behind a year full of developments in Kosovo, the region and beyond. As always, we as journalists find ourselves having to be attentive and responsible for how we talk about what’s happening around us.  As this is the last episode of this season of the Other Talking Points podcast and the last week of 2023 we take...

Besa Luci in conversation with Bertan Selim and Majlinda Hoxha.  In this episode, we discuss photography’s storytelling role, capacity to distill complex human realities in a single image, ethical questions faced by photographers and the opportunities and barriers faced by young aspiring artists.  Photography is a powerful visual storytelling medium, be it in documentary form or in a more conceptu...

Besa Luci in conversation with Haris Pašović and Natasha Tripney In 2022 we published an in-depth article on the theater landscape in Kosovo. Speaking about theater professionals’ arduous working conditions, actor Adrian Morina remarked that “Theater is a mirror of all institutions.” Whether or not theater professionals are supported reveals institutions’ understanding — or lack thereof — of this...

Besa Luci in conversation with Paul Caruana Galizia and Jeta Xharra.  In this episode, we talk about threats to journalism and to journalists covering topics that those in power seek to conceal. In his recently published book, “A Death in Malta,” Paul Caruana Galizia says: “Two worlds, corruption and writing about it, collided.” This statement and the entire book refer to the work of his late moth...

Besa Luci in conversation with Loic Tregoures and Albert Mecini. If there’s one form of entertainment that can be considered universal, it’s sports. Be it through regular state games, regional matches, or worldwide competitions — sports have long been part of everyday life across the world.  However, talking about sports transcends discussions of games, scores, favorite teams or favorite athletes....

Besa Luci in conversation with Adelina Rose and Lana Vee. Drag is thriving in our region, both as a form of art and as a tool for radical change. The vibrant art of drag is becoming ever more present in the public sphere.  But as drag artists and performers find and claim their space in the public domain, they face constant backlash, resistance and pushbacks. Being strongly linked with celebration...

Besa Luci in conversation with Kaltrina Krasniqi and Kumjana Novakova.  In this episode, we will be talking about contemporary cinematography in the region.  The region has always been rich in filmmaking. Each generation of filmmakers, as well as each country, has had its own political and cultural trajectory that played a role in shaping their relationship to cinema. Yet, there are also commonali...

Besa Luci in conversation with Aida Hozić and Aidan Hehir.  In this first episode, we will be talking about political discourses and narratives about the region — how they're constructed, how they relate to political reality, who gets to shape them, and finally, how these narratives end up shaping the region. Since the end of the Yugoslav wars, the dominant frameworks applied to the region have be...

Besa Luci in conversation with Ilir Gashi and Aulonë Kadriu. In our last episode of the first season of Other Talking Points, we are revisiting the topic of travel. Not long ago, when we recorded our first episode, we talked about travel in the region and what it tells us about our shared past, our current sense of belonging and our understanding of one another.  One aspect of the conversation was...

Besa Luci in conversation with Erëmirë Krasniqi and Milena Prevelić. Historical memory is shaped by what is documented. What we remember or celebrate, what we overlook or forget, is a result of the narratives we choose, or which are chosen for us. The official historical record is always subject to attempts to reveal or conceal different facts or narratives. They often also serve as a site of powe...

Besa Luci in conversation with Maša Mileusnić and Dafina Halili. In this episode, we talk about the experiences of women journalists in Kosovo, Serbia and the broader region.  Though women's perspectives and voices are increasingly incorporated into media content, there's been relatively limited discussion about how media outlets are failing women journalists in the workplace. Women have long been...

Besa Luci in conversation with Adi Ćerimagić and Augustin Palokaj. In this episode, we talk about the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities in Kosovo. Arising in 2013 as part of an agreement between Kosovo and Serbia within the EU-mediated dialogue, the Association was promoted as a way to convince Kosovo Serbs to fully enter the Kosovar system, ensure their cultural autonomy and end the Ser...

Besa Luci in conversation with Lindita Tahiri and Jovana Gligorijević. Songs, movies, reality shows, video games, news — these products of popular culture shape our society. From the way we interact with others, how we view our own identities, how we dress — it's all influenced by popular culture and mass media. In this episode, we will talk about popular culture and specific cases from the region...

Besa Luci in conversation with Marta Lempart and Shqipe Gjocaj. In this episode we talk about how women across the globe are facing setbacks in their struggle for bodily autonomy. One of the ways this is happening is in the banning or restricting of abortion access. In Poland, abortion has been banned since 2020. Though there are supposed to be exceptions in the case of rape, incest or when the he...

Besa Luci in conversation with Gorana Mlinarević and Lura Pollozhani. Migration is a topic people in the Balkans are far too familiar with. Whether we’re talking about the current economic migration to the West that is draining the region, or the millions who fled their homes in the 1990s due to the break-up of Yugoslavia and the ensuing wars, there’s hardly a single person who doesn’t have some f...

Besa Luci in conversation with Jelena Čolaković and Valmira Rashiti. In this episode we talk about the legal recognition of LGBTQ+ rights, with a focus on same-sex unions. Securing fundamental human rights across the Balkans is an ongoing challenge, and some groups are more discriminated against than others. In terms of the human rights of LGBTQ+ people, governments across the region often dismiss...

Besa Luci in conversation with Marigona Drevinja and Nađa Bobičić. In this episode we'll be talking about unpaid labor — about the cleaning, cooking, childcare, eldercare and more that is performed inside the home and in the family and which is not remunerated. Though unpaid, this labor is essential for the functioning of society and for other people's ability to engage in paid labor. What makes t...

Besa Luci in conversation with Vladimir Djurdjević and Granit Gashi. In this episode, we’ll be talking about climate change. How vulnerable is our region to the warming of the planet? Are we taking enough measures to address and adapt to climate change? Climate change has been making headlines for years and we have all felt the effects one way or another. As the planet continues to warm, we now ha...

Besa Luci in conversation with Dorina Pllumbi and Iva Čukić. In this episode, we look at gentrification in urban spaces in the Balkans. Gentrification is when poor or underserved areas undergo transformations that expand economic activity through the modification, renovation or demolition of existing buildings and infrastructure in a manner that increases property values. Such changes in the urban...

Besa Luci in conversation with Visar Ymeri and Aleksandar Pavlović. In this episode, we look at the ways we talk about the relationship between Kosovo and Serbia. Since 2011, the dominant framework for talking about the relationship between the two countries has been in the context of the EU-mediated dialogue.  From time to time, the media might report on cultural cooperation, instances of economi...

Besa Luci in conversation with Maja Gerovska-Mitev and Artan Mustafa. In this episode, we look at social protection. That is, whether and to what extent countries in the region have social schemes and programs that can meaningfully help the most vulnerable and have a meaningful effect on economic mobility.  Access to adequate social protection becomes particularly critical in times of crisis and e...

Besa Luci in conversation with Lura Limani and Aleksa Milanović. In this episode, we explore the lives and political struggles of trans people in the region, a particularly important topic considering that trans identities are often marginalized, misunderstood or rejected. This is not necessarily an experience limited to this region; attempts to keep trans lives in the margins is something occurri...

Besa Luci in conversation with Ilir Gashi and Driton Selmani. In this first episode, we explore the topic of travel in the region. Why and how do we travel? What does it tell us about our shared past, our current sense of belonging, and our understanding of one another? Our guests are Ilir Gashi from Belgrade, who works at the intersection of media, activism, art and technology, and Driton Selmani...