Born: 1986, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Profession: Documentary photographer
Lives and works: Novi Sad, Serbia
Like any river, the Janja weaves its way through the landscape, carving out time, destiny, and imagination. It is a body of water that tells the story of the land, its people, and the rhythms of nature, flowing through the heart of northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina.
But the Janja, like so many rivers worldwide, has experienced profound changes over the last 30 years—a shift in its course and purpose. For centuries, it was more than just a river; it was a lifeline for communities, a vital force that sustained the land and the people who lived alongside it.
The Janja was a gathering place, a source of joy and vitality—where children would play and learn to swim in its waters, where cattle grazed along its banks, and where the river’s flow nourished the crops of farmers who depended on its abundance. People drank from it, trusted it for sustenance, and celebrated the community that grew around its presence.
Up until the late 1970s, the Janja was a vital force of nature. But all of that began to change with the construction of the Ugljevik power plant, a major industrial development. The power plant, which became an economic giant in the region, brought with it a series of interventions that forever altered the river’s course and ecology.
My journey along the Janja’s path is an exploration of the river’s changing relationship with its environment. It is an attempt to understand the cultural, physical, economic, and ecological complexities that have shaped the Janja over the years.
To understand the fate of this particular river—with its rich past but also its stark present—we must listen to the whispers of its waters, which speak the history of this place, until we find either unease or inner peace in saying goodbye at its end.
