On the anniversary of the death of the first president of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegović, the Federal Television’s Plenum show was dedicated to the film “Alija – A Dream of the Land Between the Worlds”, which had its TV premiere as part of the show. The guests of the show were the author and producer of the film Nermin Hodžić and Nedžad Bublin.
Nermin Hodžić: With the film, we wanted to contribute to the culture of active memory
The author of the film, Nermin Hodžić, spoke about the motives for creating a film dedicated to the character and work of Alija Izetbegović, emphasizing that the idea arose on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth. The goal was to go a step further than previous film and other representations and present the values, principles and human character of the first president of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina through the testimonies of his associates.
Hodžić said that the idea was developed over the last year and a half, in cooperation with friends and colleagues from the production of Reaction Nedžad Bublin and Nedžad Rovčarin. Ahmed Imamović also played a significant role in the realization of the film, who, as he stated, did a large part of the work.
“Originally, it was an idea to talk about Alija Izetbegović as the commander-in-chief of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as one thematic film. However, over time, as this idea developed, as we shared it among ourselves and completed it, as we chose a circle of interlocutors who, as living witnesses, closest collaborators and people who communicated directly with the late president Alija Izetbegović during that period, would tell us their testimonies, that’s how we deepened the story”, Hodzic said.
He added that the goal was to touch on the fundamental values and principles that Izetbegović stood for, but also to present the man behind his political and historical activities.
Speaking about the reasons why the film was made right now, Hodžić pointed to the need to preserve the culture of memory, especially at a time when, as he said, various propaganda discourses directed against the character and works of Alija Izetbegović are being repeated.
“With this, we aimed to contribute to the creation of a narrative that is not geared toward building a cult of personality, but rather one that prevents a culture of oblivion and steers us back toward a culture of remembrance. We should transform this culture of remembrance into a culture of active memory—one that fosters reflection and contextualizes, within our own time, the fundamental principles and tenets championed by the late President Izetbegović, so that we may better understand the present and both envision and shape the future,” Hodžić pointed out.
He highlighted the need to safeguard rights and freedoms as one of the film’s key messages, while identifying life, liberty, and human dignity as the values Izetbegović left behind as a legacy.
“In my view, these are life, liberty, and human dignity. These are some of the messages we can glean from this film and incorporate into our own way of life,” said Hodžić.
He also touched upon comparisons between Alija Izetbegović and Josip Broz Tito, which emerged during conversations with interviewees while the film was being made. He explained that such a parallel is not coincidental when one considers the historical context and the circumstances in which both men operated.
“In the film, Professor Mustafa Spahić elaborates on this parallel, arguing that Josip Broz and Alija Izetbegović were the only political leaders in the 20th century who—amidst four years of grueling war—managed to build and form, from scratch, an organized and powerful army, and subsequently establish a political system,” Hodžić stated. He added that the authors wanted to recall the anti-fascist character of the Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, noting that it is important to observe historical circumstances in the context of the time in which they arose.
Nedžad Bublin: Documentary films are important for preserving the culture of memory
The producer of the film, Nedžad Bublin, pointed out that working on the documentary film about Alija Izetbegović was a great challenge, especially because of the scope of his life and activities, which had to be presented in a limited time. He emphasized that documentary films have an important role in preserving the culture of memory, educating new generations and preventing historical manipulations.
Bublin recalled the previous work of the production Reakcija on documentary films that deal with important figures and events from the period of aggression against Bosnia and Herzegovina, among which are films about the heroes of the war of defense and liberation, the Sarajevo War Tunnel and General Mehmed Alagić.
“When Nermin came up with this idea, we welcomed it with enthusiasm, but we immediately knew that it would be a big challenge. It is difficult to fit everything Alija Izetbegović did and the way he lived into 50 minutes or an hour,” said Bublin.
According to him, the documentary film represents a permanent visual and audio record of personalities and events from history, but at the same time it is an important educational tool. He pointed out that in the education system, especially when it comes to the Sarajevo Canton, there is not enough talk about the period of aggression, the supreme commander and president Alija Izetbegović.
“Documentary films help us learn the real truth about figures and events from history. They help us prevent manipulations, lies and a certain kind of equalization, regardless of what or who it is about. In my opinion, they are especially important when it comes to the culture of memory,” said Bublin.
He added that nations can disappear not only in wars, due to diseases or disasters, but also when their memory is suppressed. This is why he believes it is important to create documentary content that will preserve testimonies about the past.
Speaking about the experience of working on the film, Bublin stated that the authors took care in the choice of interlocutors, trying to have them be people who knew Alija Izetbegović well and directly witnessed his actions. He added that, despite having read about Izetbegović before, during the conversation with the interlocutors he found out some things that he did not know before.
“I heard some things for the first time and I had no idea how big he was, what he meant in that world, which was very difficult at the time, during the aggression, when we were almost written off and when we were threatened with disappearance. How he dealt with it and how he fought for freedom probably contributed to him succeeding in his intention,” said Bublin.
As one of the key values that Izetbegović represented, he singled out freedom, along with courage, which, according to him, accompanied him throughout his life. He recalled the years in prison, but also the decision to found a political party in the one-party system, which again risked his own freedom.
“After leaving prison, at the age of 65, he formed a party in a one-party system, while communism was still in power, and Yugoslavia still existed. With this very act, he risks freedom again. It is a great act of courage. What could scare a person who has already spent so much time in prisons, and all the time fought for the people, religion and universal values?”, said Bublin.
He added that founding the party in the circumstances of the time required extraordinary courage and that Izetbegović showed by his example his willingness to risk his personal freedom for the ideals he stood for.
Bublin also referred to Izetbegović’s advocacy for peace on the eve of the war, emphasizing that, despite the efforts to find a peaceful solution to the crisis in the former Yugoslavia, there was also a need for people to prepare for the possibility of war.
Speaking about the relationship to freedom and Bosnia and Herzegovina, he emphasized that Izetbegović saw the country as a community of different peoples and cultures. According to Bublin, he did not accept the idea of its division, despite the pressures that existed at that time.
“He envisioned Bosnia in that specific way; he did not want it any other way. At the time, global powers were pressuring for it to be partitioned in precisely that manner, but he never allowed it and refused to accept it,” said Bublin, adding that the price for defending freedom and Bosnia and Herzegovina was high—paid for with human lives, Federalna writes.
