A young but lively cinema
Before independence, several Yugoslav productions were already filmed in and around the Sarajevo region. As early as 1961, Montenegrin filmmaker Veljko Bulajić set up his camera there and directed Uzavreli grad, a drama set in the town of Zenica, then a bustling industrial center. Bulajić shot several times in the region, including patriotic films to the glory of Yugoslav heroes against the Nazis. Kozara or The Red Devils against the SS (1962) won the grand prize at the Moscow International Film Festival the same year. Two decades later, it is the Serbian Emir Kusturica, who shoots his very first feature film in Sarajevo, his native city. Do you remember Dolly Bell ? (1981) tells the difficult life of Dino, a teenager from the suburbs who indulges in the cinema of the West, full of promises. His meeting with Dolly Bell, a professional stripper, will accelerate the young man's rough transition from adolescence to adulthood. A first work that will earn its director three awards at the Venice Film Festival, including Best First Film. That same year, the Academy of Performing Arts of Sarajevo opened, which welcomed some of the biggest names in Yugoslavian and then Bosnian cinema. It is from this school that Benjamin Filipović, perhaps the first national filmmaker, came. Indeed, it was in 1991, on the eve of the vote about to confirm the independence of the country, that he released his first film, Holidays in Sarajevo. Between drama and comedy, this story written by the Bosnian poet and screenwriter Abdulah Sidran tells the adventures of a band of thieves from Sarajevo, back home for the holidays.
With the war, the Bosnian cinema barely born knows a stoppage, even if several filmmakers including Filipović realize documentaries around the conflict. Among these productions, Miracle in Bosnia by Danis Tanović (1995) relates the difficult first months of the Bosnian army, in which the filmmaker was engaged. In 1994, he left Bosnia for Belgium, where he resumed film studies. In 2001, he directed No Man's Land, his first feature film. This confrontation between a Serb and a Bosnian, both trapped in a trench during the Balkan conflict, will earn its author the prestigious Oscar for best foreign film, as well as the César for best first film, and the screenplay award at Cannes. Since then, he is a regular at the Berlinale, where he has already won the Silver Bear in 2013 for The Scrapyard Woman, and the Grand Jury Prize in 2016 with Death in Sarajevo.
Finally, we can not talk about Bosnian cinema without mentioning the filmmaker Jasmila Žbanić, also trained at the Academy of Sarajevo. Golden Bear in Berlin with Sarajevo, my love (2006), she recently marked the year 2020 with The Voice of Aida. Selected in Venice, nominated for an Oscar, the story of this translator for the UN trapped in the infamous Srebrenica in 1995 has gone around the world. In fact, the director won the Best Film award at the 34th European Film Awards with this film, where actress Jasna Đuričić was also praised for her powerful performance. Talents that are increasingly shining internationally, without forgetting the scars of this still very recent past.
Have you seen Sarajevo?
Since independence, it is clear that Bosnia does not attract international filming, despite a revival of the national industry. Apart from local filmmakers, it is indeed quite rare to see productions stop in the country. Nevertheless, some films do highlight the city, such as Larysa Kondracki's Alone Against All (2010). Based on the true story of Kathryn Bolkovac, an American inspector who revealed a pimping ring within the UN mission, the film stars Rachel Weisz in the title role. Mostly shot in Romania, Alone Against All received mixed reviews upon its release, but the press praised the actress' performance and the dark and haunting tone of the film.
Capital of cinema
Although Sarajevo is not represented on international screens, it can boast of hosting one of the biggest festivals in the region. Initially founded in 1995 as a call to life while the city was still under siege, this event took on an international dimension at the end of the war, and has since welcomed dozens of productions from around the world. Celebrities such as Daniel Craig, Angelina Jolie, Gerard Depardieu and Oliver Stone have walked the festival's red carpet, alongside more than 100,000 festival-goers in 2022. Since 2007, the Sarajevo Film Festival also offers a series of meetings, an integral part of its CineLink program: master classes, debates and conferences highlighting Eastern European cinema, while bringing together the young Bosnian generation and the great names of the seventh art, Ruben Östlund, Sergei Loznitsa, Ari Folman, names that will be no strangers to the most cinephile among you. As for relaxation, the summer period in which the festival takes place will encourage you to take advantage of the open-air screenings, where you can discover many nuggets. On the banks of the Miljacka River, you can enjoy the unique atmosphere that the festival creates in the city.
Some rooms to discover
In Sarajevo, your first stop will be the Meeting Point Cinema. A small cinema managed by the Obala Art Center, organizer of the festival, this room welcomes you in front of European and American productions. A rich program and a friendly atmosphere that continues after the session in the adjoining Meeting Point Café. Then, head to the Cinema City, first multiplex of the city, and now a must-see place. Outside of the capital, it will be more difficult to find your happiness in front of a screen. However, you will find multiplexes in the cities of Zenica, Mostar or Banja Luka at very affordable prices and with films shown in their original version. This will satisfy the appetite of the most cinephiles.
