The debut feature film of director Hari Šečić “The Widower” will represent Bosnia and Herzegovina in the category of the best foreign feature film for the 99th Oscar Award, which will be awarded next year in Los Angeles. The film had its world premiere at the 32nd Sarajevo Film Festival, where it won the first Cineplexx award.
The decision on the BiH candidate was made by a commission formed by the Association of Film Workers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a certified professional organization in charge of selecting representatives of Bosnia and Herzegovina for this prestigious film award.
For director Hari Šečić, the candidacy is the crown of many years of work on the film. It took approximately six years from the development of the first version of the script, through fundraising for filming and post-production, to the premiere.
“In our conditions, it is very difficult to make a film. The entire process of filming this film, from the script, the first version of the script, to the premiere at the Sarajevo Film Festival, was about six years,” Šečić said.
He pointed out that, bearing in mind the conditions in which the film was created and the fact that support did not come from all the addresses to which they were addressed, the very completion of the film represents a success.
He considers the award that “The Widower” won at the Sarajevo Film Festival, which was awarded based on audience votes, to be particularly important.
“I think that the fact that the film is finished, and especially the fact that it won an award at the Sarajevo Film Festival, and that award was based on audience votes, is a really wonderful thing,” Šečić said.
Following the festival recognition came the news that the film had been selected as Bosnia and Herzegovina’s entry for the Oscars.
Šečić says the nomination will allow Udovac (The Widower) to be presented to audiences outside Bosnia and Herzegovina and around the world.
“And now, the icing on the cake is the fact that the film is the Bosnian Oscar entry and that audiences outside Bosnia and Herzegovina—and across the globe—will have the chance to see it,” said Šečić.
Although Udovac has been selected as the Bosnian Oscar entry, its promotion and screenings in local cinemas will have to wait until the election campaign concludes.
Šečić notes that the film was already scheduled for release in late October or early November, and the production team would have avoided the election campaign period regardless.
“That was the plan anyway—for the film to launch sometime in late October or early November. In any case, we would have avoided that period—dedicated to the ‘joys’ of the election campaign—one way or another,” said Šečić.
Mirsad, a sixty-two-year-old electrician, lives in the patriarchal environment where he grew up. His established, routine daily life changes drastically following the sudden death of his wife, Enisa. Mirsad is left alone while his adult children live their own lives. As he tries to adjust to life without his wife, he realizes that he had not given her enough attention or love during their marriage, having taken her for granted. His already strained relationship with his son deteriorates further when he discovers that his son is living with a male friend. While his best friend urges him to find a new wife, Mirsad begins to question his life and his behavior towards the people around him, but it is too late for Enisa. He soon notices that his daughter lives a similar life to her mother.
The roles in the film are played by Izudin Bajrović, Faketa Salihbegović – Avdagić, Lana Stanišić, Nermin Omić, Edin Koja Avdagić, Gordana Boban, Emina Muftić, Dino Bajrović, Emir Fejzić, Mediha Musliović, Alija Aljović, Damir Kustura, Emina Macić, Ata Bećiragić.
