ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jarreth Merz - Filmmaker
Jarreth Merz' new film, "An African Election," follows the 2008 presidential elections in Ghana from start to finish.

Why you should listen

Raised in Ghana, Switzerland and Germany, Jarreth Merz is a filmmaker and actor (you may remember him  in the role of Simon of Cyrene in The Passion of the Christ). As a director, his work is rooted in observing life as it presents itself in all its complexities -- as shown in his latest documentary, An African Election, which follows the 2008 presidential elections in Ghana, West Africa.

Merz's stepfather, a political player on Ghana, helped him get access behind the scenes; then Jarreth and his cameraman brother Kevin followed the presidential candidates in the unpredictable months leading up to the final night. In chronicling the rough-and-tumble process of a democratic election, the documentary becomes a meditation on the dream of democracy itself. The film screened in the World Documentary competition at Sundance earlier this year. Merz is now working on a “political safari” in Africa.

He says: "An African Election challenges the preconceived notion we have about politics in Ghana or Africa without hiding the brutal realities."

More profile about the speaker
Jarreth Merz | Speaker | TED.com
TEDGlobal 2011

Jarreth Merz: Filming democracy in Ghana

Jarreth Merz: Snimanje demokracije u Gani

Filmed:
432,980 views

Jarreth Merz, švicarsko-ganski redatelj, došao je u Ganu 2008. godine kako bi snimao nacionalne izbore. Ono što je pritom vidio naučilo ga je nešto novo o demokraciji -- i o njemu samome.
- Filmmaker
Jarreth Merz' new film, "An African Election," follows the 2008 presidential elections in Ghana from start to finish. Full bio

Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.

00:15
I was bornrođen in SwitzerlandŠvicarska
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Rođen sam u Švicarskoj,
00:19
and raiseduzdignut in GhanaGana, WestZapad AfricaAfrika.
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a odrastao u Gani, u zapadnoj Africi.
00:22
GhanaGana feltosjećala safesef to me as a childdijete.
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Dok sam bio dijete, mislio sam da je Gana sigurna.
00:24
I was freebesplatno, I was happysretan.
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Bio sam slobodan, bio sam sretan.
00:28
The earlyrano 70s
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Početkom 70-ih godina
00:30
markedobilježen a time of musicalmjuzikl and artisticumjetnički excellenceizvrsnost in GhanaGana.
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procvale su glazba i umjetnost u Gani.
00:33
But then by the endkraj of the decadedesetljeće,
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No, do kraja tog desetljeća
00:35
the countryzemlja had fallenpoginuli back into politicalpolitički instabilitynestabilnost
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u zemlji je ponovno došlo do političke nestabilnosti
00:38
and mismanagementlošeg upravljanja.
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i lošeg vodstva.
00:42
In 1979,
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1979. godine
00:44
I witnessedsvjedoci my first militaryvojni coupdržavni udar.
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doživio sam svoj prvi vojni puč.
00:48
We the childrendjeca had gatheredokupilo at a friend'sprijatelj je housekuća.
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Mi, djeca, okupili smo se u kući jednog prijatelja.
00:51
It was a dimlyslabo litlit shackkoliba.
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Bila je to slabo osvijetljena koliba.
00:53
There was a beatentučen up blackcrno and whitebijela televisiontelevizija
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U njoj se nalazio oronuli crno-bijeli televizor,
00:55
flickeringtitranje in the backgroundpozadina,
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iz kojeg je slika treperila u pozadini.
00:58
and a formerprijašnji headglava of statedržava and generalgeneral
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Bivši šef države i general
01:00
was beingbiće blindfoldedzavezanih očiju
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imao je povez preko očiju
01:02
and tiedvezan to the polepol.
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i bio je zavezan za stup.
01:04
The firingplamena squadodred aimedusmjerene, firedotkaz --
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Streljački vod je naciljao, opalio --
01:07
the generalgeneral was deadmrtav.
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general je bio mrtav.
01:09
Now this was beingbiće broadcastemitiranje liveživjeti.
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I to je bilo prenošeno uživo.
01:12
And shortlyUbrzo after, we left the countryzemlja,
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Nedugo nakon toga, otišli smo iz zemlje
01:15
and we returnedvratio to SwitzerlandŠvicarska.
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i vratili se u Švicarsku.
01:17
Now EuropeEurope camedošao as a shockšok to me,
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Europa mi je bila šok
01:20
and I think I startedpočeo feelingosjećaj the need
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i mislim da sam počeo osjećati potrebu
01:23
to shedšupe my skinkoža in ordernarudžba to fitodgovara in.
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da se riješim svoje kože kako bih se uklopio.
01:26
I wanted to blendspoj in like a chameleonkameleon.
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Htio sam se stopiti s masom poput kameleona.
01:28
I think it was a tactictaktika of survivalopstanak.
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Mislim da je to bila taktika za preživljavanje.
01:31
And it workedradio, or so I believedvjerovao.
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I uspjelo mi je, barem sam tako mislio.
01:34
So here I was in 2008
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I tako sam se 2008. godine
01:39
wonderingpitate where I was in my life.
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počeo pitati gdje sam u životu.
01:42
And I feltosjećala I was beingbiće typecastetiketiran as an actorglumac.
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Imao sam osjećaj da su mi kao glumci neprestano dodjeljivani isti tipovi uloga.
01:45
I was always playingigranje the exoticegzotične AfricanAfrička.
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Uvijek sam glumio egzotičnog Afrikanca.
01:48
I was playingigranje the violentnasilan AfricanAfrička,
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Glumio sam nasilnog Afrikanca,
01:50
the AfricanAfrička terroristterorist.
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afričkog terorista.
01:52
And I was thinkingmišljenje,
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I mislio sam,
01:54
how manymnogi terroriststeroristi could I possiblymožda playigrati
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koliko terorista uopće mogu odglumiti
01:56
before turningtokarenje into one myselfsebe?
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prije nego i sam postanem jedan od njih?
01:59
And I had becomepostati ashamedposramljen of the other,
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Počeo sam se sramiti drugoga,
02:02
the AfricanAfrička in me.
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onog afričkog u sebi.
02:05
And fortunatelysrećom I decidedodlučio in 2008
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2008. godine, na sreću,
02:08
to returnpovratak to GhanaGana,
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odlučio sam se vratiti u Ganu,
02:10
after 28 yearsgodina of absenceodsutnost.
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nakon 28 godina izbivanja.
02:13
I wanted to documentdokument on filmfilm
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Htio sam zabilježiti na filmu
02:15
the 2008 presidentialpredsjednički electionsizbori.
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predsjedničke izbore održane 2008. godine.
02:18
And there, I startedpočeo by searchingu potrazi
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Kad sam stigao, počeo sam tražiti
02:21
for the footprintstragovi in my childhooddjetinjstvo.
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tragove svojeg djetinjstva.
02:23
And before I even knewznao it,
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Nisam se ni okrenuo,
02:25
I was suddenlyiznenada on a stagefaza
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a odjednom sam se našao na pozornici
02:27
surroundedokružen by thousandstisuća of cheeringnavijanje people
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okružen tisućama uzbuđenih ljudi
02:29
duringza vrijeme a politicalpolitički rallyreli.
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na političkom skupu.
02:31
And I realizedshvatio that, when I'd left the countryzemlja,
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Shvatio sam da su, kad sam otišao iz zemlje,
02:34
freebesplatno and fairfer electionsizbori in a democraticdemokratski environmentokolina
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slobodni i pošteni izbori u demokratskom okruženju
02:37
were a dreamsan.
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bili san.
02:39
And now that I'd returnedvratio, that dreamsan had becomepostati realitystvarnost,
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Sad kad sam se vration, taj je san postao stvarnost,
02:42
thoughiako a fragilelomljiv realitystvarnost.
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iako vrlo krhka.
02:44
And I was thinkingmišljenje,
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Mislio sam,
02:46
was GhanaGana searchingu potrazi for its identityidentitet
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traži li i Gana svoj identitet
02:48
like I was looking for my identityidentitet?
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kao što ja tražim svoj?
02:50
Was what was happeningdogađa in GhanaGana a metaphormetafora
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Je li to što se događalo u Gani bilo metafora
02:52
for what was happeningdogađa in me?
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onoga što se događalo u meni?
02:56
And it was as if throughkroz the standardsstandardi of my WesternZapadni life,
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Bilo je kao da po standardima svojeg zapadnjačkog života
03:02
I hadn'tnije livedživjeli up to my fullpuni potentialpotencijal.
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nisam ostvorio svoj puni potencijal.
03:05
I mean, norni had GhanaGana,
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Mislim, nije ni Gana,
03:07
even thoughiako we had been tryingtežak very hardteško.
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iako smo se doista trudili.
03:09
Now in 1957,
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1957. godine
03:11
GhanaGana was the first sub-Saharansub-saharskoj countryzemlja
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Gana je bila prva subsaharska zemlja
03:13
to gaindobit its independencenezavisnost.
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koja je stekla nezavisnost.
03:15
In the latekasno 50s,
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Krajem 50-ih godina
03:17
GhanaGana and SingaporeSingapur had the sameisti GDPBDP-A.
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Gana i Singapur imali su jednak BDP.
03:20
I mean, todaydanas, SingaporeSingapur is a First WorldSvijet countryzemlja
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Danas je Singapur zemlja Prvog svijeta,
03:23
and GhanaGana is not.
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a Gana nije.
03:26
But maybe it was time to provedokazati to myselfsebe,
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Možda je bilo vrijeme da dokažem sam sebi
03:29
yes, it's importantvažno to understandrazumjeti the pastprošlost,
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kako jest važno razumjeti prošlost,
03:31
it is importantvažno to look at it in a differentdrugačiji lightsvjetlo,
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kako je važno gledati je u drugom svjetlu,
03:35
but maybe we should look at the strengthsprednosti in our ownvlastiti cultureKultura
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ali možda bismo se trebali usredotočiti na prednosti naše kulture
03:39
and buildizgraditi on those foundationstekući puderi in the presentpredstaviti.
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i graditi sadašnjost na tim temeljima.
03:43
So here I was, DecemberProsinac 7thth, 2008.
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I tako sam se našao 7. prosinca 2008.
03:48
The pollingglasovanje stationsstanice openedotvori to the votersbirača at 7:00 AM,
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na glasačkim mjestima koja su za glasače bila otvorena u 7 sati ujutro.
03:53
but votersbirača, eagerželjan to take theirnjihov ownvlastiti politicalpolitički fatesudbina into theirnjihov handsruke,
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No glasači, željni preuzeti svoju političku sudbinu u vlastite ruke,
03:57
were startingpolazeći to linecrta up at 4:00 AM in the morningjutro.
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su počeli pristizati već u 4 sata ujutro.
04:00
And they had traveledputovao from nearblizu, they had traveledputovao from fardaleko,
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Neki su živjeli blizu, neki su doputovali iz daleka,
04:03
because they wanted to make theirnjihov voicesglasovi heardčuo.
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jer su željeli da se njihovi glasovi čuju.
04:05
And I askedpitao one of the votersbirača, I said, "WhomKoga are you going to voteglasanje for?"
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Pitao sam jednog od glasača: "Za koga ćete glasati?"
04:08
And he said, "I'm sorry, I can't tell you."
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A on je odgovorio: "Žao mi je, ne mogu vam reći."
04:11
He said that his voteglasanje was in his heartsrce.
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Rekao je da je njegov glas u njegovom srcu.
04:14
And I understoodrazumjeti, this was theirnjihov electionizbor,
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Razumio sam to, radilo se o njihovim izborima,
04:17
and they weren'tnisu going to let anyonebilo tko
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i nisu namjeravali nikome dopustiti
04:19
take it away from them.
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da im ih oduzmu.
04:21
Now the first roundkrug of the votingglasanje didn't bringdonijeti forthdalje a clearčisto winnerpobjednik --
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Nakon prvog kruga glasovanja nije bilo jasnog pobjednika --
04:24
so nobodynitko had achievedpostići the absoluteapsolutan majorityvećina --
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nitko nije dobio apsolutnu većinu glasova --
04:28
so votingglasanje wentotišao into a seconddrugi roundkrug threetri weeksTjedni laterkasnije.
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tako da je drugi krug glasovanja održan tri tjedna kasnije.
04:31
The candidateskandidata were back on the roadcesta; they were campaigningkampanja.
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Kandidati su se ponovno aktivirali, radili su na svojim kampanjama.
04:34
The rhetoricretorika of the candidateskandidata, of coursenaravno, changedpromijenjen.
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Naravno, retorika kandidata se promijenila.
04:36
The heattoplina was on.
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Stvari su se zakuhavale.
04:38
And then the clichekliše camedošao to hauntproganjati us.
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A onda se pojavio jedan kliše.
04:43
There were claimszahtjevi of intimidationzastrašivanje
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Pričalo se o zastrašivanju
04:45
at the pollingglasovanje stationsstanice,
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na glasačkim mjestima,
04:47
of ballotglasački listić boxeskutije beingbiće stolenukraden.
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o krađi glasačkih kutija.
04:51
InflatedNapuhan resultsrezultati startedpočeo comingdolazak in
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Počeli su pristizati lažni rezultati
04:54
and the mobmafija was startingpolazeći to get out of controlkontrolirati.
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i svjetina se počela otimati kontroli.
04:57
We witnessedsvjedoci the eruptionerupcija of violencenasilje in the streetsulice.
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Doživjeli smo erupciju nasilja na ulicama.
05:01
People were beingbiće beatentučen brutallybrutalno.
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Ljude su brutalno premlaćivali.
05:04
The armyvojska startedpočeo firingplamena theirnjihov gunstopovi. People were scramblingremećenje.
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Vojska je počela pucati. Ljudi su bježali u panici.
05:07
It was completepotpun chaoshaos.
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Bio je to potpun kaos.
05:09
And my heartsrce sankpotonuo,
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Srce mi se steglo
05:11
because I thought, here we are again.
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jer sam mislio, evo ga opet.
05:13
Here is anotherjoš proofdokaz
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Evo još jednog dokaza
05:15
that the AfricanAfrička is not capablesposoban of governingkojima se uređuje himselfsam.
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da se Afrikanci ne znaju brinuti sami za sebe.
05:18
And not only that, I am documentingdokumentiranje it --
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I ne samo to, ja to snimam --
05:21
documentingdokumentiranje my ownvlastiti culturalkulturni shortcomingsnedostatke.
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snimam nedostatke vlastite kulture.
05:25
So when the echoodjek of the gunshotspucnjava
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Dok je zvuk pucnjave
05:28
had lingeredzastao,
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još odjekivao,
05:30
it was soonuskoro drownedutopio se by the chantingpjevanje of the mobmafija,
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ubrzo su ga nadglasali ljudi koji su pjevali,
05:32
and I didn't believe what I was hearingsluh.
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a ja nisam mogao vjerovati svojim ušima.
05:34
They were chantingpjevanje, "We want peacemir.
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Pjevali su: "Želimo mir.
05:36
We want peacemir."
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Želimo mir."
05:39
And I realizedshvatio it had to come from the people.
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Shvatio sam da je to moralo krenuti od ljudi.
05:42
After all, they decideodlučiti,
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Na kraju krajeva, oni odlučuju,
05:44
and they did.
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i točno su to i učinili.
05:46
So the soundszvukovi that were before distortediskrivljene and loudglasno,
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Zvukovi koji su prije bili nepravilni i glasni
05:50
were suddenlyiznenada a melodymelodija.
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odjednom su postali melodija.
05:53
The soundszvukovi of the voicesglasovi were harmoniousskladan.
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Zvukovi glasova bili su skladni.
05:56
So it could happendogoditi se.
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Znači, to je ipak bilo moguće.
05:59
A democracydemokratija could be upheldpotvrdio peacefullymirno.
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Demokracija se može mirno održati.
06:02
It could be, by the will of the massesmase
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Može se, ako je to volja mase,
06:05
who were now urgentlyhitno pressingpritiskom
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koja je sada tražila
06:07
with all theirnjihov heartsrce and all theirnjihov will
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svim srcem i svim umom
06:09
for peacemir.
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mir.
06:11
Now here'sevo an interestingzanimljiv comparisonusporedba.
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Evo zanimljive usporedbe.
06:14
We in the WestZapad,
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Mi na Zapadu
06:16
we preachpropovijedati the valuesvrijednosti,
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zagovaramo vrijednosti,
06:18
the goldenzlatan lightsvjetlo of democracydemokratija,
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zlatno svjetlo demokracije,
06:21
that we are the shiningsjajan exampleprimjer of how it's doneučinio.
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misleći kako smo svijetli primjer kako se to radi.
06:24
But when it comesdolazi down to it,
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Ali na kraju se sve svodi na to
06:27
GhanaGana foundpronađeno itselfsebe in the sameisti placemjesto
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da se Gana našla u istoj situaciji
06:31
in whichkoji the U.S. electionizbor stalledzastao
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u kojoj je zapeo i SAD
06:33
in the 2000 presidentialpredsjednički electionsizbori --
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na predsjedničkim izborima 2000. godine --
06:35
BushBush versusprotiv GoreGore.
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Bush protiv Gorea.
06:38
But insteadumjesto of the unwillingnessnespremnost of the candidateskandidata
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No, umjesto nevoljkosti kandidata
06:41
to allowdopustiti the systemsistem to proceedpostupiti and the people to decideodlučiti,
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da prihvate sustav i dopuste ljudima da odluče,
06:44
GhanaGana honoredčast mi je democracydemokratija
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Gana je odala počast demokraciji
06:47
and its people.
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i svojim ljudima.
06:49
It didn't leavenapustiti it up to the SupremeVrhovni CourtSud to decideodlučiti;
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Nije prepustila odluku Vrhovnom sudu,
06:52
the people did.
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već ljudima.
06:55
Now the seconddrugi roundkrug of votingglasanje
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No, ni drugi krug glasovanja.
06:58
did not bringdonijeti forthdalje a clearčisto winnerpobjednik eitherili.
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nije donio pobjednika.
07:00
I mean, it was so incrediblynevjerojatno closeblizu.
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Mislim, bilo je toliko blizu.
07:02
The electoralizborni commissionerpovjerenik declaredproglašen,
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Povjerenik za izbore odlučio je,
07:05
with the consentpristanak of the partiesstranke,
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uz pristanak stranaka,
07:07
to runtrčanje an unprecedentedbez presedana
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da se po prvi put provede
07:09
seconddrugi re-runPonovno pokreni.
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još jedan krug glasovanja.
07:11
So the people wentotišao back to the pollsankete
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Ljudi su ponovno otišli na glasačka mjesta
07:15
to determineodrediti theirnjihov ownvlastiti presidentpredsjednik,
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kako bi izabrali svojeg predsjednika,
07:17
not the legalpravni systemsistem.
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a ne pravni sustav.
07:19
And guessnagađati what, it workedradio.
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I pogodite što, uspjelo je.
07:23
The defeatedporažen candidatekandidat
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Poraženi se kandidat
07:25
gavedali up powervlast
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odrekao vlasti
07:27
and madenapravljen way for GhanaGana to movepotez into a newnovi democraticdemokratski cycleciklus.
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i omogućio Gani da započne nov demokratski ciklus.
07:30
I mean, at the absoluteapsolutan time
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Hoću reći da u apsolutnom vremenu
07:32
for the absoluteapsolutan need of democracydemokratija,
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s apsolutnom potrebom za demokracijom
07:34
they did not abusezlostavljanje theirnjihov powervlast.
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nisu zloupotrijebili svoju vlast.
07:39
The beliefvjerovanje in truepravi democracydemokratija and in the people runsradi deepduboko,
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Duboka je vjera u pravu demokraciju i u ljude,
07:43
provingdokazivanje that the AfricanAfrička is capablesposoban of governingkojima se uređuje himselfsam.
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što dokazuje da su Afrikanci sposobni brinuti se sami za sebe.
07:48
Now the uphilluzbrdo battlebitka for GhanaGana and for AfricaAfrika
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Naporna borba za Ganu i za Afriku
07:51
is not over,
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nije gotova,
07:53
but I have proofdokaz that the other sidestrana of democracydemokratija existspostoji,
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ali imam dokaze da postoji druga strana demokracije
07:57
and that we mustmora not take it for grantedodobreno.
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i da je ne smijemo uzimati zdravo za gotovo.
08:00
Now I have learnednaučeno
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Naučio sam
08:02
that my placemjesto is not just in the WestZapad or in AfricaAfrika,
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da moje mjesto nije samo na Zapadu ili u Africi.
08:06
and I'm still searchingu potrazi
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Još uvijek tražim
08:08
for my identityidentitet,
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svoj identitet,
08:10
but I saw GhanaGana
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ali vidio sam kako Gana
08:13
createstvoriti democracydemokratija better.
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na bolji način stvara demokraciju.
08:15
GhanaGana taughtučio me
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Gana me naučila
08:17
to look at people differentlyrazličito
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da ljude gledam drugačije
08:19
and to look at myselfsebe differentlyrazličito.
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i da sebe gledam drugačije.
08:22
And yes,
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I da,
08:24
we AfricansAfrikanci can.
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mi Afrikanci to možemo.
08:26
Thank you.
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Hvala.
08:28
(ApplausePljesak)
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(Pljesak)
Translated by Katarina Smetko
Reviewed by Zlatko Smetisko

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ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Jarreth Merz - Filmmaker
Jarreth Merz' new film, "An African Election," follows the 2008 presidential elections in Ghana from start to finish.

Why you should listen

Raised in Ghana, Switzerland and Germany, Jarreth Merz is a filmmaker and actor (you may remember him  in the role of Simon of Cyrene in The Passion of the Christ). As a director, his work is rooted in observing life as it presents itself in all its complexities -- as shown in his latest documentary, An African Election, which follows the 2008 presidential elections in Ghana, West Africa.

Merz's stepfather, a political player on Ghana, helped him get access behind the scenes; then Jarreth and his cameraman brother Kevin followed the presidential candidates in the unpredictable months leading up to the final night. In chronicling the rough-and-tumble process of a democratic election, the documentary becomes a meditation on the dream of democracy itself. The film screened in the World Documentary competition at Sundance earlier this year. Merz is now working on a “political safari” in Africa.

He says: "An African Election challenges the preconceived notion we have about politics in Ghana or Africa without hiding the brutal realities."

More profile about the speaker
Jarreth Merz | Speaker | TED.com