Evo čovjeka

Sarajevo lived through the longest siege in modern history. The Siege is a film about those who lived through it, about the human experience of the besieged. Through Sarajevo to beyond Sarajevo, it is the story of a surrounded city, of a battle and resistance. It is also the universal story of civilization facing a terrible challenge to its existence, of a struggle for its survival. Sarajevo resisted and survived. The Siege describes a vertiginous descent into war.

An exploration of the perils of nationalism and art’s role as a weapon of resistance and activism throughout the 1990s Siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War. Explore how art and music sustained hope, thanks in part to humanitarians and the band U2.

At the end of WWI, the treaty of Versailles established the conditions for peace in Europe. The aim for the victorious powers was to make Germany pay reparations, and to guarantee a future without war. Yet a decade later, the denunciation of 'Versailles' became a powerful lever for the nazis to obtain power as these reparations would mark the beginning of the humiliation of the German people, and nurture a feeling of having been bestowed a hopeless future. In the 20 years that follow the end of WWI, the issue of reparations and responsibility will effectively poison international relationship. The treaty negative impact goes well beyond WWII as the new European borders it implemented led to many conflicts during the twentieth century. This documentary shines a light on the causality between the decisions taken with the treaty of Versailles, and the ensuing events of the century.

The carnage in Sarajevo provides the focus of this French documentary which seeks to call attention to the terrible conflict in the hopes of finally ending it. The film is divided into five parts. Each part covers a time frame ranging from April 4, 1992, the beginning of the war, to the present. The major issues that occur are three-fold. It depicts the systematic genocide of Bosnians, the silence of Western countries, and the determination of the Bosnians to resist. They refuse to be seen as victims, even though the filmmakers portray them so. Also included are the origins and political aspects of the war. It offers interviews with participants. It also reveals how the U.S. State Department censored reports about Serbian death camps.

Tanovic himself a refugee from Sarajevo interviews a Bosnian refugee in Brussels their new adoptive country Belgium.

An attempt to erect a virtual memorial for the victims of the Bosnian war, using archive material, videos and statements from survivors in a 3D animation.

The war crimes trial of Ratko Mladic, accused of masterminding the murder of over 7000 Muslim men and boys in Srebrenica in the 90s Bosnian war, the worst crime in Europe since WW2.

Paul Pawlikowski's award-winning documentary on life behind Serbian lines in Bosnia. The film observes the roots of the extreme nationalism which has torn apart a country and provides a chilling examination of the dangerous power of ancient nationalist myths.

The extraordinary story of Sanja and Zoran, a couple who in 1993 fled and survived the siege of Sarajevo, the longest war in 20th century history, to find refuge in Italy, in Turin. In their life experience, past and present come together to give voice to friendship and hope, reflecting on war, prejudice, tolerance and acceptance.

In September 2004, Himzo Muratovic returned from the dead. Himzo turned up in a taxi in his Bosnian Muslim village, 12 years after he disappeared at the height of the Serb terror. His mother fell unconscious when neighbors told her that her missing son had returned. For several days the village celebrated the return of the long-dead Himzo Muratovic.

Bosnia was divided by war in the 1990s. The older population stayed while the younger population left. The film’s two mediums, documentary and animation, fluctuate along the border of two worlds, which separated time and historical events but are united by a longing for home and family. People are like dogs: they never forget their way home.