A little over two centuries ago, a French enlightener, François Marie Aurélie, better known as Voltaire, famously said: I do not think as you do, but I will fight to the end of my life for your right not to think as I do. To the open-minded people of that time, it probably seemed as if the world would move forward in terms of freedom of thought and that everyone would be able to express their views without being judged by others or, worse, lynched. But looking at the world today, we will notice that most have not yet reached the level of thinking of the Parisian enlightener.
When it was announced at the beginning of this year that a cult city cinema would be showing a film by a director from an eastern country in February, you probably thought that the hall wouldn't be overly full, because, for God's sake, it wasn't a Hollywood blockbuster. But that Wednesday afternoon, the cinema hall was, to put it in jargon, almost completely full. People who entered the hall with a friendly smile promised a good atmosphere and an even better discussion after the film, which had been announced a little earlier by the event organizers.
From the very beginning of the screening, film fans - at least that's what they seemed to be at the beginning - could see the masterful direction of a filmmaker from another continent. As the film's plot developed, the atmosphere became increasingly tense, which is understandable since the film was extremely painful to watch (the plot revolves around a middle-aged man who kills prostitutes). All of this would not have been strange at all, if it had not turned out in the end that this very heated atmosphere almost prepared the ground for an unfortunate event.
After the film, a panel discussion on the topic of 'women, art and freedom' followed. At first, it seemed as if the whole event would end in a peaceful tone. As the conversation progressed, someone commented on the current war on the other side of the planet, and then a large number of people joined in the discussion in which they talked about the terrible conflict. At that point, the audience found themselves quite far from the original topics, at least in the opinion of one elderly man. He quite politely suggested that it would be better for the audience to focus more on the film itself and the motives the film talks about. In such a situation, it would be natural to expect a correct response from the moderator, who was in charge of the direction the conversation would take. Instead of a calm and civilized response, a certain part of the audience attacked the elderly gentleman with unpleasant comments, while the moderator was bombarded with rhetorical questions. How can he even say something like that, doesn't he see what we're talking about? was heard at one point. And now that smile of those people that they didn't take off their faces as they entered the hall was no longer cute. It was not endearing that a decent gentleman was shot down just because he expressed his opinion. It is true that the topics that led to this incident are also important. And no one disputed that! That gentleman didn't say they were insignificant. His only wish at that moment was for everyone to collectively return to discussing the film and the problems in society that the film talks about. However, the only thing he received in response were condemnations, because he did not fully accept their views, and just a few moments before his good-natured comment, there was talk of rights and freedom of thought and speech. It's a little crazy, isn't it? Who knows, if there was someone a little crazier in the audience, he might have ended up in one of the city's hospitals.
And you? Have you even considered that everyone has the right to say whatever they want? The one who commits such atrocities, expressing their opinion and laughing at it in the crowd, must be aware of the consequences because it is not nice to defy the crowd. Maybe then it is best to stick to their opinion because then at least your head will be safe. And if you still dare to express your opinion, even if it does not differ much from theirs, be prepared for punishment and ostracism from society.
Finally, ask yourself what democracy actually means in our society and does it even exist? What is the purpose of the large number of projects and events organized in this region where we are taught how to respect other people's opinions, which are often different from ours, but when we actually hear them, a problem arises? What can we expect from the majority that will talk about how we are all equal tomorrow, and the day after that, like judges, will condemn anyone else who does not think like them. Try to think about what those who say they are not democratic are capable of doing, if these supporters of freedom of thought only allow what suits them...
The text was inspired by an event that took place in Sarajevo in February this year...