koštana banović
Tevhid
(4-channel projection, loop, 2014)

A mourning ritual at Amra’s house, Sarajevo, Bosnia. This video project documents a tevhid, the best known and most frequently performed Bosnian Muslim women’s ritual.
Women in Bosnia don’t go to funerals, to the cemetery or take part in the funeral procession. Instead they gather and perform
a mourning ritual at home. Prayers, Quran recitations and the singing of songs characterize the tevhid, including an intense repetition of Allah’s names. Bula is a woman who is in charge of this ritual. Being familiar with the Quran and the rich literature that praises
the Prophet in the original languages, bulas have the knowledge and authority to compose the framework of a gathering. This ritual gathering is in the home of my friend Amra, for her mom who recently passed away.