‘Srbenka – Nebojša Slijepčević’

In the early 90’s, a 12-year old Serbian girl was brutally murdered in Zagreb. The perpetrators were soon found but never convicted. A quarter-century later, well known director Oliver Frljic is working on a theatre play about the case. The rehearsals bring out hidden traumas and become collective psychotherapy, and the 12-year old actress Nina feels as if the war had never ended.

As part of the Balkan Trafik Festival, BOZAR Cinema is presenting a selection of films from the Sarajevo Film Festival on the theme of "Dealing with the Past", a section created by the Sarajevo Festival three years ago. The aim is to showcase films of a nature to foster dialogue, awaken consciences and promote peace in a region still deeply affected by the Balkan wars. The programme proposes – in cooperation with significant institutions in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo – a selection of films that deal with the painful events of a very recent past. With an aesthetic as diverse as the subject matter, these films confront the audience with war crimes that have gone unpunished, ethnic hatred, the resurgence of nationalism and many other wounds that have yet to heal. Cinema here is a powerful medium that can help us to understand the past as we defend new values and build a new society.

"Dealing with the Past" is a project initiated by the Sarajevo Film Festival, supported by the Robert Bosch Foundation and presented in partnership with Al Jazeera Balkans.