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Letters from Slovenia

My grandfather and grandmother, Lojze Rijavec and Rosalia Plesnicar, were immigrants to America from a small central European region called Slovenia. When they left Europe (1909 and 1913) Slovenia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Thereafter, the region came under Italian fascist control, Yugoslav communist control, a gradual shift to socialism, then in 1991, independent Slovenia capitalist control.

The disruptive political history of Slovenia always interested me. When I found a trove of family letters, and I finally learned enough Slovenian to read them, I learned a remarkable story about my grandparents and their families. Social systems change at a ragged pace, but every power system holds all the assets, no matter what the system. Without power, the only way up is out.

The Team

Director: Carole Ryavec - Carmic Productions
www.carmicproductions.com

Producers: Carmic Productions; The Lipovec Family, Kolect

Editor: Carole Ryavec

Stills: Carole Ryavec, Ivan Lipovec, Bostjan Lipovec

Cinematography: Carole Ryavec, Janez Stucin, Claude Bauschinger

Animation and Graphics: Geoff Skinnell, Dan Turkewitz, Pat Kozu

Advisors: Verena Dobnik, Edvard Žitnik, Petra Kolenc, Boza Hvala

Contact: Carole.Ryavec@gmail.com

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