Portrait of Cvijetin, fishing on the river's edge as the war in Bosnia drew to a close. A bomb exploded on the surface of the water, leaving him wounded. The river carries its own tragic stories. Cvijetin is currently in his sixties. ©Mitar Simikic for the VII Mentor Program.
Every river is like a person to me; I grant it personification. Like its ancestors, frozen in time, witnessing its transformation. ©Mitar Simikic for the VII Mentor Program.
The place on the river Janja where I learned to swim. My journey along its course is part of a continuing project that explores, depicts and exposes the complex cultural, physical, economic and ecological situation along this relatively small river long 53 kilometers. ©Mitar Simikic for the VII Mentor Program.
In the northeastern part of the Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Janja’s 53 kilometers form the left tributary of the Drina, the nation’s second-largest river. The local fisherman used to catch fish that would migrate from the Drina during the winter months. Now, the fish are scarce due to the disruption of the river's ecosystem caused by the complete reshaping of the course of the Janja River. ©Mitar Simikic for the VII Mentor Program.
Portrait of Dobrinka, she believes that each river, much like every person, possesses its unique destiny. To understand the fate of this particular river Janja, with its rich past but also its obvious reality, we must listen to the whispers of the water that speak of the history of this place, and we must listen to the stories of the people who live on its banks until we find anxiety or inner peace upon saying goodbye to her at its end. ©Mitar Simikic for the VII Mentor Program.
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Mitar Simikić

VII Mentor Program 2023-24

Mitar Simikić is a documentary photographer from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Inspired by his curiosity to explore new and surprising stories, Simikić prefers narrative, long-term projects that express emotion and examine social values through people and their environment. Simikić is a VII Academy scholarship recipient whose work has been recognized through awards and grants such as the VID Grant Financial Prize, The Everyday Projects, the Felix Schoeller Photo Award, the Sarajevo Photography Award, the Kolga Tbilisi Photo Award, and in 2018, he was nominated for the prestigious World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass. His work has also been featured in numerous international festivals and exhibitions. Currently, he also works as a professor’s assistant at the Department of Photography, Academy of Arts, Novi Sad, Serbia.

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