Recently, our national TV station showed a great movie: “Kako je počeo rat na mome otoku” or, “How the War Started on My Island (1996)”. Great comedy dealing with very serious subject of our war for independence in the early 90s.
This clip in particular is very famous:

Many people wonder where the movie was shot as they cannot recognize the army barracks in the movie. I wondered the same until, one day while looking for something else, I found it on the bank of Šibenik canal. It was part of a very big military complex called Minerska. The entire area has been forbidden for civilians ever since the Nazi occupation (probably earlier) and especially so during Yugoslavia as this was an important part of a whole military network in Šibenik area.

Taking a walk in these woods is now a common exercise for many and people picking asparagus in spring. But the entire complex is easy to get to through the damaged fence. Evidences of former power are evident at every step.

Somehow, this gray, cloudy day complemented the grim military heritage…
The only evidence of life, of humans, were the notebooks, sort of service diaries, left by our soldiers who were guarding this complex up until few years back when Croatia finally terminated the obligatory military service.

Other than that, this spooky place is just a ghost town. Perfect for shooting horror movies but obviously great for comedies like “How the War Started on My Island”. The government is still deciding what to do with this land and buildings and I am sure they will make a wrong decision. Like always.

This place also brings back memories of times that flew by. Sometimes tough and sometimes beautiful, those days stay with us and make us what we are.

But some things are best kept dead…

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