Sarajevo Film Festival: A Beacon of Cultural Resilience and Cinematic Excellence
The Sarajevo Film Festival, now celebrating its 30th year, has grown to become one of the most significant cultural events in Bosnia and Southeastern Europe. Originating in 1995 during the siege of Sarajevo, the festival has evolved from a symbol of resilience to a beacon of cinematic excellence. This year’s festival promises to be no different, featuring an impressive lineup of films that tackle both political and emotional taboo subjects. According to Rada Šešić, a key programmer for the festival, documentary films play a crucial role in reflecting societal undercurrents and revealing what often lies beneath the surface. This year’s selection process was particularly rigorous, with 21 films chosen out of 275 submissions, including 19 in competition.
Šešić’s approach to selecting and screening films is deeply personal. She remains in the cinema during screenings to observe the audience’s reactions, believing that these moments offer invaluable insights into the film’s impact. The festival’s atmosphere is unique, providing a special and emotional occasion for both directors and audiences. This year, the films will be judged by a distinguished jury consisting of Mandy Chang, Marek Hovorka, and Wang Xiaoshuai. The competition will open with the world premiere of a Hungarian filmmaker’s latest feature, setting the tone for a festival that promises to be both thought-provoking and emotionally resonant.
This year’s festival also highlights a strong presence of Ukrainian films, reflecting the current geopolitical climate. Lesia Diak’s ‘Dad’s Lullaby’ delves into the lives of traumatized soldiers and their families, while Maria Stoianova’s ‘Fragments of Ice’ offers a personal story that mirrors the history of Ukraine. Olga Chernykh’s ‘A Picture to Remember’ provides a multi-generational portrait of Ukrainian women, showcasing the resilience and strength of its subjects. Šešić believes that these films powerfully depict the reality of their surroundings, offering audiences a poignant glimpse into the human condition amidst turmoil.
Two Croatian productions, ‘Pavilion 6’ and ‘Our Children,’ are among the highlights of this year’s lineup. Additionally, ‘At the Door of the House’ by Bosnian-born director Maja Novakovic celebrates the connection between humans and nature. These films serve as a barometer for society in the region, measuring its political and social ‘temperature.’ They often spark social and political debates, addressing issues that are usually overlooked. The Sarajevo Film Festival has always supported documentary films, offering platforms for discussion and support for such projects. The festival’s dedicated and knowledgeable audience is particularly interested in documentary cinema, making it an ideal venue for these impactful films.
The Dealing with the Past program, held in cooperation with the EU in BiH Europe House, is another significant aspect of the Sarajevo Film Festival. This youth-oriented program aims to increase dialogue about unresolved issues and topics from past conflicts in the region. This year, 25 young participants from across the Western Balkans engaged in discussions, seminars, workshops, and idea exchanges. The program featured contributions from Young European Ambassadors, local and regional youth organizations, as well as local experts and activists. The panel ‘Human Rights in Times of Uncertainty,’ led by Ferdinand Koenig, Head of Communications of the EU office in BiH, emphasized the importance of reconciliation and youth reconnection for the European Union in BiH and the region.
The panel discussed the necessity of protecting human rights in a world of increasing challenges and uncertainties. Topics such as the role of education in advocacy, access to information, and critical thinking were brought up by the participants. Environmental protection and human rights were also discussed, inspired by Professor Lemes’s activism in Zenica. The documentary film ‘Nebo iznad zenice/The Sky Above Zenica,’ which premiered at the event, explores the topic of environmental protection. In addition to screenings of 11 films about past and ongoing conflicts, Europe House serves as a central location for networking and discussions during the Sarajevo Film Festival. The space allows for exploration and analysis of the role of young people in building bridges and overcoming past divides.
The festival’s expansion to new locations in the city’s political, business, and retail center marks a significant milestone in its history. This includes a new industry venue, open-air cinema, and an increase in the number of screens. Festival director Jovan Marjanovic hopes this move will align with Sarajevo’s other strengths and become a new center of the city. Despite this expansion, the festival will maintain its presence near the old town, with guests staying in nearby hotels and open-air sites. This expansion has been in the works since 2020 and reflects the festival’s commitment to environmental causes. Plans are in place for a multi-functional hall to be built in the festival garden for cinema, theatre, concerts, and events.
Local filmmaker Danis Tanovic will open the festival with his latest feature, ‘My Late Summer,’ selected as a nod to the local audience. The film will be released in Sarajevo shortly after its festival debut. The festival boasts five world premieres in its competition sections, including Lesia Diak’s documentary ‘Dad’s Lullaby,’ which won the Docu Talent Award at the festival’s Cinelink industry platform in 2022. The festival aims to give a platform to filmmakers from Ukraine, especially after the recent Russian invasion. Marjanovic acknowledges the difficult issue of migration across Europe, highlighting the festival’s role in fostering dialogue and understanding on complex social issues.
This year’s festival guests include notable figures such as Meg Ryan, Alexander Payne, and John Turturro. Jury president Paul Schrader had to cancel his trip to Sarajevo two years ago due to health reasons but will be participating this year. Local talent, including Una Gunjak and Sebastian Cavazza, will sit on the jury alongside Schrader. The festival has apologized for an ‘inexcusable error’ in their vetting process that led to the disqualification of a film, underscoring the challenges and responsibilities involved in curating such a significant cultural event.
The festival’s industry program, Cinelink, will present a work-in-progress showcase featuring nine films in production or post-production stages from Southeast Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. Some of the filmmakers competing include Alisa Kovalenko, Adrian Sitaru, Tarik Aktas, Ralitza Petrova, Maya Vitkova, and Ana Urushadze. These filmmakers have previously been recognized at prestigious festivals such as Berlinale, Locarno, and Sundance. The projects will be presented to funders, sales agents, distributors, broadcasters, and festival programmers, with the goal of helping these films reach completion and increasing their chances of distribution.
The lineup includes a mix of fiction and documentary films, each exploring different themes and genres. ‘Frontline’ is a documentary about a mother, soldier, and filmmaker living on the Ukrainian frontline. ‘Harakiri’ follows two interwoven stories about a TV show about suicide and an exploration of love and mental health. ‘Hear the Yellow’ is about a woman searching for her missing cat and uncovering family secrets in her Anatolian village. ‘Honey Bunny’ is about two sisters in a fractured relationship navigating family tensions on a visit. ‘Kriegsausgabe’ is a dystopian epic set in Mesopotamia about a fighter trying to escape his violent past. ‘Lust’ is about a daughter who inherits her estranged father’s fortune and must confront her past. ‘My Turn!’ follows a brother and sister on a journey to break free from tradition and their own bodies. ‘One Month’ is about an artist who must find a father for her future child in order to keep her life intact. ‘Supporting Role’ is about a retired Georgian film star who takes on an unpleasant role and goes on a journey of self-discovery.
All of the films are from different countries, including Poland, Romania, Turkey, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary, Georgia, and Estonia. The filmmakers are all exploring different themes and genres, but all share a connection to their home countries and cultures. The showcase provides an opportunity for these films to gain international recognition and find distribution, potentially leading to success at future festivals. This focus on diverse storytelling underscores the Sarajevo Film Festival’s commitment to fostering a global dialogue through cinema.
Alexander Payne, a well-known director from the United States, has become an ambassador for the Sarajevo Film Festival. Payne first visited Sarajevo 19 years ago and has returned three times since, becoming a regular participant in the festival. He notes the clear differences in the city’s functionality between his visits, believing that Sarajevo has become a more developed city. Payne recalls the early days of the festival with nostalgia and excitement, noting that while the festival has become more professional, it still maintains its warmth and intimacy. For Payne, the Sarajevo Film Festival is not only a film event but an experience that every visitor carries with them.