At the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF), more than ten films about the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), Gaza, Ukraine, and other countries will be shown, as well as a film by the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network of BiH (BIRN BiH) about a rock and roll band from Srebrenica, whose members were separated due to the war and genocide that claimed the life of the band’s main member.
Nearly three decades after the war’s end, films about the atrocities of the 1990s continue to be a central theme of the festival. In the “Dealing with the Past” category, two films about the war in BiH will be screened – one about the crime in Strpci in 1993 and another by BIRN BiH about a Srebrenica musician killed in the 1995 genocide. Additionally, the “BH Film” category will feature a film about children killed during the siege of Sarajevo.
The film “Sniper Alley – To My Brother” by Cristiana Lucia Grilli and Francesco Toscani, produced in Italy, portrays the life of Dzemil Hodzic through his long-term project “Sniper Alley.”
The project collects photographs by world-renowned war photojournalists from the period of the Sarajevo siege from 1992 to 1996, preserving the memory of the children who were killed.
The film “Samir Mehic Bowie – Letters from Srebrenica” by Lamija Grebo, a joint production of BIRN BiH and the Srebrenica Memorial Center, will have its premiere in both the “Dealing with the Past” and “BH Film” programs.
The film tells the story of the separation of friends and members of a rock band from Srebrenica in the spring of 1992. Drummer Faruk leaves Srebrenica, while guitarist Samir stays behind. Through letters, they dream of reuniting until July 1995.
The film “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent” by Nebojsa Slijepcevic, a co-production between Croatia, Slovenia, France, and Bulgaria, narrates the crime in Strpci committed on February 27th, 1993, when Serbian forces stopped a passenger train on the Belgrade – Bar line and removed passengers who were later killed in the Visegrad area. The film tells the story of the only passenger among 500 who dared to stand up to the soldiers.
The war in Palestine through film
The film “Life is Beautiful,” produced in Norway, Palestine, and Qatar, tells the story of Mohamed Jabaly’s struggle for his rights as a Palestinian filmmaker after finding himself stranded in Norway due to circumstances beyond his control. Directed by Jabaly, the film uses personal archives and video calls to express his love and longing for his hometown, friends, and relatives, while he tries to build a new life in the Arctic. The film is a love letter to Gaza, his new home in Tromso, and the empowering force of storytelling.
The Ukrainian War in the focus of the festival
In the documentary competition program, the world premiere of “Dad’s Lullaby” directed by Lesia Diak, produced in Ukraine, Romania, and Croatia, will take place.
The film follows Serhiy, a veteran whose personal relationships have been severely damaged by the war. He feels increasingly isolated as he struggles to rebuild a close relationship with his wife, Nadiia, and their three sons – Sasha, Artem, and Nikita.
An unexpected twist occurs when Serhiy turns the camera towards the director. This role reversal opens up a space for a sensitive conversation about love and relationships, prompting the director to share her own experience of a breakup with a war veteran, Detektor writes.
E.Dz.
