ArrayTo mark the 120th anniversary of the Brežice bridge, its history was brought together with stories from the world of film.
On the eve of the opening of the 3rd Brežice European Film Festival and on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the ceremonial opening of the Brežice bridge across the Sava and Krka rivers, the Posavje Museum Brežice, in cooperation with the Brežice Town Revival Association, organised an evening walk to one of the town’s most recognisable landmarks and an important part of its cultural heritage.
The bridge was officially opened at 10 a.m. on 25 August 1906. Measuring 524 metres, it was considered one of the longest bridges in the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the time of its construction and represented a major technical achievement. For 120 years, it has formed an important part of the image of Brežice, while its story has remained closely connected with the development of the town, technological progress and life along the Sava and Krka rivers.
The bridges of Brežice also have a connection to the world of film, having served as locations for various Slovenian and international productions. One of the best-known is Armour of God, starring Jackie Chan, while scenes from numerous other film projects have also been shot in the area. This connection between cultural heritage and cinema was the central theme of the evening walk, during which the history of the bridge was interwoven with stories from the world of film, providing an introduction to this year’s festival.
The walk began in the castle courtyard, where visitors were welcomed by Deputy Mayor of the Municipality of Brežice Mihael Petančič and President of the Brežice Town Revival Association Anita Radkovič. The walk was led by Dr Ivanka Počkar from the Brežice Town Revival Association, in cooperation with Aleš Pavlin, Programme Director of the Brežice European Film Festival, and Alenka Černelič Krošelj, Director of the Posavje Museum Brežice.
They introduced participants to the construction of the bridge, its significance for the town and the wider region, and its role in cinematic stories. The event also provided an opportunity to reflect on how cultural heritage acquires new meanings over time and how film can bring individual places and their stories to audiences around the world.
At the beginning of the event, one of the festival venues was also symbolically renamed for the duration of the festival. The hall next to the castle courtyard was named Aleš Pavlin Hall, in honour of the festival’s founder and programme director. The new sign was unveiled jointly by Mojca Florjanič, Director of the Brežice European Film Festival, Alenka Černelič Krošelj, Director of the Posavje Museum Brežice, and Aleš Pavlin.
The evening walk brought together the 120-year history of the Brežice bridge, the town’s rich cultural heritage and cinematic creativity. It also symbolically opened the festival days, during which Brežice once again becomes a meeting place for film, culture and people.
