Post by Mirella Sidro

The ARTE documentary “Re: Bosniens Bürger und der illegale Müll” is now online: https://lnkd.in/e6Y9Y-eg I had the privilege to work as a stringer on this production — conducting research, coordinating locally, and organizing access to locations and interview partners across Bosnia and Herzegovina. The documentary addresses the urgent issue of illegal waste disposal and its impact on communities. In addition to officially known illegal landfills in places such as Mostar and Stolac, which affect residents both physically and psychologically, we also visited a positive example of responsible waste management during the production, showing that sustainable solutions are indeed possible. What became very evident throughout the research is that illegal dumping is not only an environmental challenge, but also a serious public health and societal issue. Communities living near uncontrolled landfills face long-term environmental exposure, health risks, and constant psychological pressure. This project once again highlighted how essential local research and on-the-ground coordination are for international documentary storytelling. Environmental realities, social challenges, and community voices can only be truly understood through direct engagement with the people and places concerned. My sincere thanks to author Leslie Fedora Keferstein for her trust and the collaboration. It is always a pleasure to realize such meaningful projects together. Because documentary work is ultimately about more than reporting facts — it is about making realities visible, giving context, and contributing to informed public discourse on sustainability, environmental responsibility, and societal development. ALBA Mia Pojskić Oliver Buchholz #Documentary #Journalism #InvestigativeJournalism #EnvironmentalJournalism #Sustainability #EnvironmentalJustice