The Eclipse

Nataša Urban

Norway

- 2022

On 11 August 1999, most of Europe was engrossed in the total solar eclipse, which momentarily enveloped the Earth in darkness. But in Serbia, people were busy barricading themselves in their homes and shelters for fear of the dark. Using this event as a metaphor for the nation’s unclean conscience about the consequences of its political choices, in this essay documentary the director confronts her country’s wartime and criminal past, and the evil that is still on the loose today.

Nataša Urban

She was born in north Serbia in 1977. Her films, such as ‘Journey of a Red Fridge’ (2007) and ‘Big Sister Punam’ (2009), have been screened at film festivals worldwide and have received 40 awards. She graduated in 2001 from Bucharest’s University of Arts, in the Department of Photography and Video. She also holds a Master’s degree in Photography, awarded by the University of Arts in Belgrade in 2008. She took part in ESoDoc 2006, IDFAcademy 2007, IDFA Summer School 2014, Berlinale Talents 2015, Werner Herzog Rogue Film School 2016, as well as UP 2.0 2020 and Nye Veier 2020 Norwegian Film Institute’s talent schemes. ‘The Eclipse’ (2022) was awarded Best Film at the CPH: DOX in Copenhagen.