Nejra Latic Hulusic & David-Jan Bronsgeest
Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2011 | 23 min
Language : Bosnian
A woman manages a cinema in Sarajevo, now a trendy bar. The camera follows her at night, when music is playing and customers throng the premises, but also in her solitude, when she talks about her past and present lives. The picture that emerges is of a longing for reconciliation, despite the memory of her two children killed by Serb sharp-shooters.
One of Sarajevo’s legendary locations is a cinema which, during the war, continued to serve as a meeting place for the besieged. A woman still manages what has become a trendy bar, frequented by young people. The camera follows her at night, when music is playing and customers throng the premises, but also after the night-owls have left, the place empty, the lights out. We see her smile and exchange a few words with all comers, then, in her solitude, talk about her past and present life. This “iron lady” strives not to be entirely caught up in the memory of her two children, killed by Serb sharpshooters, but rather seeks reconciliation with the old enemy, even with a former Serb soldier ordered to fire from the hill into the street where she lived. The work is a joint venture involving a Bosnian filmmaker and a Dutchman: with respect and empathy, they have painted a portrait of an exceptional personality.
Luciano Barisone
Translation BMP Translations
