Savrseni krug

A solid film, mixing raw war-horror with its psychological effects and challenges; chiefly, the immense grief and struggle that is associated with attempting to live and survive.

I cannot fathom how a person can go through something as traumatic and devastating as a genocidal civil war, and manage to release a film about it only 2 years after the bullets stopped flying, and the bombs stopped bursting. I could not possibly arrange my thoughts in any coherent way after dealing with something the likes of this, at least not for a long, long time. So much of it otherwise turns to noise. It is an absolute miracle that Kenovic was able to put something out of this quality, this quickly. I think he really did something serviceable here.

Part of why I find this movie incredible: the film cameras, the set, the actors; everyone and everything is nearly completely authentic. It is an almost absolutely sure thing that any person you look at in this movie lost many loved ones to the sort of scenes they depict and act within. It is possible that many of the actors were already in Sarajevo before joining this production. Their acting would involve simply going about their lives like it was yesterday. The buildings, rubble, and general devastation you see, is more than likely just how Sarajevo still was at time, due to the extent of the shelling and gunfire fire the city endured helplessly during those nearly 4 years of time. There would have been no difficulty in finding shoot locations, clothes, military costumes...It was more than readily available. Really, it was all quite regular.

Barring any number of sentiments on the writing itself, I think that really makes this to be something special and one-of-a-kind. But really. I think it's simply a good movie.

As a Sarajevan who did not spend time in Sarajevo during the war, but heard many stories about how it went during the war. Everyone told me this is the most accurate film made about Sarajevo in the war. So please watch it! And try to imagine how would you feel in the situation like that. Let us hope no one would ever be in the situation like that in Europe ever again! There is a memorial for the children of Sarajevo killed in war in the central park in Sarajevo.

Sarajevo did not deserve that! It is an Winter Olympic City, and as like that should of deserved better, but geopolitical faith intervened...

Finished watching this fabulous movie few minutes ago. I'll try to summarize my view as short as I can. This movie shows war as it is; mindless decisions of those who started it, poor people struggling to survive and find better future, orphans problems, war criminal etc., and how it affects on society (family!) and individuals (suicides). Mustafa Nadarevic did a great role in movie, by making enormous efforts (greater than he gave to his own family) to give two orphans chance to survive and at last, better future. Even he haves drinking problems, he can abstain himself not doing wrong decisions and think reasonably. He deserved more prizes for his characteristic style and honest acting.

Almedin Leleta and his movie brother Almir Podgorica, 10 and 13 years old when movie was first shown, also empathized their orphans roles and shown great talent. Sincerely, I can only recommend you this movie, particularly if you are from war affected country.

This could have been a very depressive movie depicting the pointlessness, destruction and despair of war. In a war torn, besieged Sarajevo, society disintegrates, people's lives are shattered and normalcy becomes a dream.

Instead this film is an elegy to humanity that manages to beat the odds and survive through acts of love and compassion. Of course, there are many films like that, but in this one, the director manages, shorty after the end of the war, while the wounds are still fresh, to avoid to focus on any political or ethnical issues and is concentrating on the human factor and this is what makes this film so powerful. People, all sorts of people are trapped in the hell that is Sarajevo, friends and enemies alike.

The plight of the innocents to survive, each hour, each day and night, escaping random and senseless indiscriminate dying is heart rending, but there is hope expressed by the two children and contrasted strongly with the despair of the poet, that cannot find a solace in his art: "who cares about art now?", he wonders. Or "how can nightmares be worse than what we are living through now?".

Very good acting from the main characters, especially from the children, fine directing and haunting photography of a ruined Sarajevo. A must see!

It's a slightly dramatized documentary, really. It's one of the tens of thousands of similar stories occured during '92-'96.

Shot right after the end of the longest siege on a capital in modern war history, which has become one of the best-known symbols of a large scale ethnic cleansing campaign, it doesn't need any decorations. What you see is what those people suffered through for 4 years, while the "big powers" of Europe, the ultimate defenders of human rights, have just watched the atrocity taking place right in the heart of the continent.