PLITVICE LAKES (UNEDITED RUSHES) [Allocated Title]
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- Title: PLITVICE LAKES (UNEDITED RUSHES) [Allocated Title]
- Film Number: UNT 421 X
- Other titles: UNITED NATIONS TELEVISION (UNTV) ZAGREB COLLECTION, YUGOSLAVIA [Allocated Series Title]
- Summary: 01. CZECHBAT are stationed in Plitvice National Park to conserve the wooden walkways that link the different paths through the lakeside woodland. 02. Vojtech Plessnik, Anti-Tank Platoon Commander describes efforts to control a recent forest fire. Men work to repair a bridge. 03. CZECHBAT are shown working to repair a bridge and a section of wooden walkway. 04. Interview with Ijila Drakulić, General Director at Plitvice Lakes and other scenic shots of the waterfalls and lakes. 05. Footage of the scenery of the Plitvice National Park. 06. Interview with Andelko Kružičević, Director of the Plitvice Lakes National Park, in Zagreb.
- Description: 01. CZECHBAT soldiers oversee a delivery of materials and equipment to Plitvice National Park. One soldier unloads the axes and then the wooden beams are unloaded. Various shots of the soldiers unloading the beams: from the top of the truck, from the ground looking up and underneath the wooden beams as they are unloaded. Soldiers stack the wooden beams on the grass. Shot of hands taking the weight of the beam and the beams resting on the shoulders of soldiers. Long shot shows the entire operation: one soldier on the truck slides the means into the arms of the waiting soldiers. Beams are slid along the row towards the camera. The soldiers continue to unload the beams from the truck. Long shot of the activity from the other side of a stream, crossed by a wooden bridge. Shot of the damage to the current bridge. Shot pans to show that CZECHBAT have completed unloading the timber. Shot pans back to the rotten timber on the bridge. Panning shots from the floor of the bridge to the surrounding landscape of woodland and flowing stream. Two CZECHBAT officers walk along wooden walkways at the edge of a large lake. They inspect the walkway. Different shot of the two officers inspecting the walkway. A boot taps the outside of new planking laid over older planking. Shot of the walkway and the boats moored on the edge of the lake. Panning shot from a submerged rowing boat to disused pleasure boats. Shots of the pleasure boats, covered with plastic sheeting. Shot of the weather-worn wooden benches on the deck of one of the pleasure boats. Further shots of the lake and the rusting boats. Shot of wooden lodges and rotten wooden planking. The facade of a closed Snack Bar. Windows of an empty souvenir shop. Unused wooden lodges. Empty tables outside the Snack Bar. A man and a woman sweep the wooden steps outside the Snack Bar. Panning shot from lake to lakeside path. Josef Archer, CZECHBAT Staff Sergeant, walks through the shot. Shot of rockface. The CZECHBAT soldier walks into shot, looks out to the lake and walks out of shot. Shots of the shallows, the lake and the woodland. CZECHBAT soldier jumps down to the water’s edge and looks out over the water. Interview with Josef Archer, CZECHBAT Staff Sergeant, who describes the effect of war on the National Park. He says that he carries out daily patrols of the Park as part of his job monitoring the water quality of the Park’s rivers for UNESCO. He finishes by saying that the National Park is a fantastic place. [34 minutes, 11 seconds] 02. Shot shows a charred section of a wooden walkway. A CZECHBAT officer walks through the shot. Close up shot on the charred wooden walkway. Interview with Vojtech Plessnik, Anti-Tank Platoon Commander, who describes the damage caused by a recent forest fire. Shots of charred wood, burnt trees and nails sticking out of charred wood. Boots walk over the burnt land. Interview with Josef Archer, CZECHBAT Staff Sergeant, standing in front of a waterfall. He explains the features of the National Park. Shots of waterfalls, cascading water, foliage over a running stream. Shot of wooden walkway, falling water and a Coke can in the stream. A CZECHBAT soldier removed the Coke can from the stream. Men unload bags of cement from a truck and carry them on their shoulders through a doorway. Shot of waterfalls among foliage. CZECHBAT engineers and local work men are repairing a bridge. Shots of men at work cutting wooden planks, carrying wooden planks onto the bridge and using a chainsaw. They are making wooden boards out of the planks by hammering nails into the crosspieces. An officer oversees the work. The wooden board is lowered over the side of the bridge and nailed into place. A soldier nails the board perpendicular to the bridge. Shot of the bridge from across the stream. Another wooden board is made and fitted onto the corner of the first board. A UN truck is parked in the background. Interview with Jan Prem, Chief of CZECHBAT Engineers, who explains the support that they offer local workers and the necessity of maintenance work. [34 minutes, 25 seconds] 03. Continuation of interview with Jan Prem. UNTV ask him if he is surprised to be stationed in such a beautiful place and asks him to describe the difference between working here and working elsewhere in the region. He is asked to assess the importance of the work here in comparison to work elsewhere. Jan Prem is also asked whether he thinks that local people appreciate the work that CZECHBAT are doing here and what he considers the best part of his job here. Shot of an impressive series of waterfalls and the bright blue river, calm before the falls. Shots of different parts of the waterfall in the valley, the river running between rocky cliff faces. Interview with Duro Grbić, one employee who has remained. He says that 2700 people used to work here but now that there is no money from tourism, it has become impossible to live. Without tourists, there can make no money from hotels, camping or souvenirs. He hopes that once the war stops, life will start again. Duro walks out from dense foliage and walks to a rock that overlooks the waterfalls. Camera follows him along a path through the woods. Shot pans to the lake and back to a path, four CZECHBAT engineers walk through the shot with axes on their shoulders. Panning shots of the water in the foreground to the lake in the background and to the bridge. Reflections of the water on the rocks above the bridge. CZECHBAT engineers carry out repairs on a handrail that supports a wooden walkway over rushing water. Shots of the engineers repairing one of the wooden planks that makes up the walkway. Close up shot on water boatmen on the surface of the water. A fish glides underneath the water. [30 minutes, 10 seconds] 04. Sunset over Plitvice National Park. CZECHBAT engineers walk along a lakeside path. Shot of waterfalls, camera pulls back to show the lake. Shot of waterfalls beside a wooden walkway. Two CZECHBAT soldiers walk towards the camera and out of shot. Further shots of the water falls. Shots of the soldiers’ legs as they walk along the wooden walkways, some parts of which appear to be rotting. Further shots of waterfalls. Further shots of the soldiers walking along a walkway. Shots of a large wooden lodge. The building appears empty. Shots of a lake, a large number of small waterfalls and woodland. Shots of small streams and plants growing at the waterside. Further shots of waterfalls and the shallows at the edges of the lake. Interview with Ijila Drakulić, General Director at Plitvice Lakes. He explains his job and says that the park is for tourists as well as locals. In his opinion the beauty of the lakes should not just be for Serbians but for Muslims, Croats and the whole world but they need to be preserved in a good condition. He also describes the effect of the war on the National Park. He says that naturally there are no tourists and as a result most staff work in the Zagreb office. He also describes the restoration work that needs to take place and the role that UNESCO has played in this work. He also comments on the work of UNPROFOR in the National Park. Ijila Drakulić walks across the car park in front of Hotel Bellevue. [33 minutes 40 seconds] 05. Shot showing entrance to the Plitvice National Park. A UN jeep leaves the Park. Shot of the signpost to the National Park above the road. Footage from a car showing roadside landscape of woodland and fields. The UN jeep drives through the shot. Footage of the UN jeep driving along a woodland road. Shot showing a higher and a lower lake, linked by waterfalls. Shot of waterfalls. Slow panning shot of green hills and valleys stretching into the distance. Shot of tranquil water at the base of one of the hills. A house without a roof, its walls scattered with bullet holes. Footage from the car of the roadside trees with a lake in the background. Shots of a damaged building with its glass window panes shattered. Bullet holes mark its walls. Shot of wooded hills to a distant horizon. Shots of damaged houses by the roadside, many are without roofs, some appear burnt and others have come under small arms fire. Shots of the evening moon. The sky darkens and the moon turns red. [16 minutes 20 seconds] 06. Andelko Kružičević, Director of the Plitvice Lakes National Park, talks briefly to a receptionist. Close up shot on sign for the Plitvice National Park and the office front. Andelko Kružičević walks past the windows of the office. Interview with Andelko Kružičević in a central park in Zagreb. He explains how he has been involved with Plitvice National Park since 1973. He says that the National Park has been very well known to the world for more than 100 years ago. It was 100 years ago that Plitvice Lakes society was founded to promote the values of the Park, to build the walkways and to support sightseeing activities. The most important feature of the National Park is the ongoing formation of limestone. This is the reason why the site was declared a National Park 49 years ago and registered as a World Heritage site by UNESCO fifteen years ago. He says that the war has resulted in the destruction of whole villages and of the Croat population in the area. Although he does not have complete information on the current state of the park he hopes that no damage has been done to the site itself. He is very concerned about the future of the National Park because if it was damaged, it would be a loss for Croatia and for the world. He agrees that the lack of tourism might have a positive impact on the natural processes going on in the park but insists that as long as the visitors behaved properly, they caused little damage. He does not accept that CZECHBAT have any obligation to repair the structures in the National Park but he is grateful for the help that they are giving. He says, though, that he does not have accurate information about what the Battalion are doing in the National Park. He says that the Croatian population who used to live near the park are in their fourth year of exile already. He hopes that with the help of the international community people will be able to return to their homes and they will not only be able to restore the National Park but also to improve on it so that there is a more harmonious relationship between man and nature. Shot of a statue in the public park. Shot of flowers. [18 minutes, 5 seconds]
- Alternative Title: UNITED NATIONS TELEVISION (UNTV) ZAGREB COLLECTION, YUGOSLAVIA [Allocated Series Title]
- Colour: English (Tape Code A)
- Digitised:
- Object_Number: UNT 421 X
- Sound: Bosnian (Tape Code B)
- Access Conditions:
- Featured Period: 1990-2000
- Production Date: 1994-08
- Production Country: UN
- Production Details: Webb, Steve (Production individual)
- Personalities, Units and Organisations:
- Keywords: Croatia & Plitvice <Plitvice Lakes> (geography) Croatia & Zagreb (geography)
- Physical Characteristics:
- Technical Details: Format: Beta-SP Number of items/reels/tapes: 6 Footage: 165 minutes.
- HD Media:
- Link to IWM Collections page:
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Related IWM Collections Objects:
UNT 421 (PLITVICE LAKES [Main Title])