Community Location Map
📍 Location: Šar Mountains & Bistra Massif, North Macedonia
Overview & Cultural Background
Macedonian mountain shepherds practice vertical transhumance in the alpine grasslands of the Šar Mountains, Bistra, and Korab massifs in Western North Macedonia. Operating from seasonal stone sheepfolds (bafči or bac), shepherds spend May through October grazing sheep on mountain ridges reaching up to 2,500 meters altitude.
The shepherds produce world-renowned artisanal sheep cheeses, including hard Kashkaval and brined Galičnik Sirenje. Large, fearless Šarplaninac shepherd dogs protect the herds against grey wolves and brown bears, representing an ancient non-lethal predator control system.
Key facts
- Estimated Population: Approximately 4,500 active high-altitude mountain shepherds
- Primary Livestock Herded: Pramenka sheep, Balkan goats, and Šarplaninac (Yugoslavian Shepherd Dog) livestock guardians
- ️ Contemporary Challenges: Depopulation of remote highland mountain villages, lack of young successors willing to undertake grueling seasonal isolation, wolf and bear predation, and economic consolidation in dairy processing.
Featured Films in the Festival Program
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The Mountain Won't Move (Gora ne premakne se) ⏱ 94 min | 🌍 North Macedonia / Slovenia | 🎬 Petra Seliškar