Across the River - Tales of a Divided City

Photography by Jasper Bastian

‘Across the River’ is a long term project examining the scars of the ethnically divided city of Mitrovica, located in the northern corner of Kosovo. The city was once one of the wealthiest areas in the former country of Yugoslavia. Today, it is split into two parallel worlds divided by the river Ibar, which presents both a physical and an ideological barrier between the northern and the southern sections of the city. While the Albanian South-Mitrovica claims to belong to the independent state of Kosovo, the Serbian North-Mitrovica still pledges allegiance with Serbia.

This series illustrates the distance and isolation that is caused by the constant uncertainty and distrust between the two ethnic groups, which is a much larger barrier than the river itself. The wounds from the war are still fresh and the tensions taut. Fifteen years after the end of the Kosovo War, many Serbs and Albanians have yet to cross the river to the other side.

Jasper Bastian was chosen to be part of Magnum’s 30 under 30 for this exceptional portfolio.  Check out the others.