The Partisan Necropolis tells the story of the Partisan Memorial Cemetery in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina—a remarkable modernist monument built between 1959 and 1965 by renowned architect Bogdan Bogdanović to honour young anti-fascist partisans who fought against Nazi-aligned forces during the Second World War. Once celebrated as a symbol of unity and remembrance, the cemetery has become a target of repeated vandalism and political division, culminating in the devastating 2022 attack that destroyed hundreds of its engraved stone memorials. Through rare archive material, architectural drawings, and eyewitness accounts, the film explores how this extraordinary site became a battleground over history and identity.
At the heart of the documentary are the families, historians and campaigners determined to preserve the memorial and protect the stories of those buried there. As they search through shattered stone fragments and fight against attempts to erase the site's significance, their struggle reveals a much broader conflict over collective memory, historical revisionism, and the resurgence of nationalist narratives across Europe. The Partisan Necropolis is ultimately a powerful reflection on how the past is contested, remembered, and manipulated—and why safeguarding history has never been more important.