KEVIN FOONG :: PHOTOGRAPHER / FILMMAKER

THE KOSOVARS

Kosovo declared its independence in 2008 making it Europe's newest country. One of the surreal consequences of the 1998-99 Kosovo War is that half of its population is still under 35. There’s an anecdote that while half of the youth want to leave Kosovo, the other half are forced to stay, none want to be here. At first glance, the capital Pristina looks messy and undeserving of attention but just scratching a little bit beneath the surface, I found a buzzy energy in its dimly lit side streets and underground ateliers. A youthful ambition swirling in teeming initiatives, this restlessness disguised by a generally laid back populace. This portraiture project attempts to document the young people who, contrary to popular belief, have decided to make a stand and are making things happen in Kosovo. And they are The Kosovars I've come to cherish and admire.