Fear in Slovenian Film: Vinko Möderndorfer’s Predmestje

In the autumn of 2006, Slovenia faced a new political reality. After a ­violent incident occurred between two men of Slovenian nationality, one of whom was actually part of a gipsy community, the citizens and the mayor of the municipality where the incident took place put such ­pressure on the government that it eventually decided to move the entire gypsy family to another location. Explaining its drastic move, the ­government declared that their safety was being threatened. So, instead of protecting the family’s constitutional right to enjoy their own ­property, the government tried to find them a new place in order to ­control the situation—all in vain, since people across Slovenia violently protested each and every time the state officials declared they had found a proper place for the gipsy family.