“TRAIN OF FREEDOM, an award-winning documentary about post-war reconciliation in Kosovo, presented through a journey in the country’s railways”
Train of Freedom, is an open forum for the voices of all communities alike, seeking to explain the realities that deal with division, reconciliation and economic consequences.
Director’s Statement As a director I seek answers to essential human questions. My documentary work is grounded in human expression, tolerance, compassion and consciousness. Through storytelling, I invite you to discover people and places that may not be familiar — but can bring us closer. I believe stories have the power to build understanding, expand perspective, and connect us in ways that transcend borders.
TRAIN OF FREEDOM
Documentary | 50 min | 2007 | Kosovo
Director: Karina Palmer | Cinematographer: Regjep Ahmetaj | Producer: Petrit Pula
The "Movement of Freedom Train" began running through the north and south of Kosovo after the Balkan war, symbolizing hope, mobility, and the fragile process of reconciliation.
Hasan, Albanian, is the train’s oldest conductor in the Kosovar railway, Milos, a young Serb, is the newest member of the crew. Together, they ride the rails daily — crossing ethnic divides through the simple, powerful act of working side by side.
Train of Freedom captures their journey, and that of other passengers and workers, as they navigate the challenges of a society in recovery.
The film portrays the passengers, conductors, ticket takers, and workers who ride the train each day — everyday people who embody both the hopes and the challenges facing the future of Kosovar society.
Since 1874, the train has carried passengers on remarkable journeys. At its peak, it offered luxury cabins for travelers journeying from Greece to Germany.
During the war, however, the train bore witness to one of the darkest chapters in Kosovo’s history. Nearly one million Albanians were driven from their land by Serbian forces during a brutal campaign of ethnic cleansing. Many were packed into train cars and forcibly transported to the Macedonian border.
Today, the train serves a different purpose — one of reconciliation and integration. It remains one of the few spaces in Kosovo where Albanians, Serbs, Roma, and Ashkali communities share common ground.
Meet the passengers. Hear their stories. And witness firsthand the hopes and challenges shaping the future of this young nation.