On exciting thing about working in a new film archive is that I get the opportunity to represent the institution at some national and international events, the most interesting of which is probably the International Federation of Film Archives annual Congress, or FIAF. This year, it was held in Skopje, Macedonia, an intriguing destination about which I knew next to nothing.

The architecture of the city, at least in the downtown along the river, is perhaps the most fascinating – and unsettling – thing you notice about Skopje. It’s all fairly recent, and all extremely monumental. Giant columns, massive domes, surrounded by statues of prominent Macedonians…except when you look closely, it turns out these buildings are for the most part unoccupied. I never really got the full story on why these buildings were built, or what happened to them, but they were the talk of the congress. Incomprehensible by day, they become downright absurd at night, lit up like Caesar’s Palace for no apparent reason.

The congress itself was great, a chance to meet wonderful film folks from around the world, to take part in interesting discussions, and screen some rare films. We also had a day trip to Ohrid, a long bus ride through the countryside to a fascinating and beautiful town in southern Macedonia.

See all the photos here.