I just came home from a screening of Na Putu at the cinema, a new Bosnian drama surrounding a couple tackling what seems to be a dead end in their relationship, and I could hardly recommend it more.
First off, the cinematography is beautiful, full of compelling shots of Sarajevo and the Bosnian countryside, as well as piercing, intimate and emotionally powerful scenes between the couple.
Zrinka Cvitesic (Luna) and Loen Lucev (Amar) both deliver beautiful, subtle roles, and the script is extremely tasteful, avoiding clichés and maintaining a believable, intriguing, and above all very humane story. The portrayal of a long-time couple facing a crisis due to one partner radically altering his outlook on life is handled very sensitively and maintains a touching, universal tone.
Jasmila Zbanic manages to organically place this story in current-day Sarajevo without resorting to a schematic presentation of the politics of the war-torn region, nor to a preachy tone. This does not mean she ignores the setting or stays indifferent to it - far from it.
The intimate story intertwines at points with a broader reality, always told through a long silent shot, or hinted out through dialogues. Although I'm no Bosnia-Herzegovina expert, as I have only visited once, I do feel this film transcends the atmosphere in this traumatized country very vividly, without slipping into tackiness or dichotomy.
Looking forward to seeing more from this sensitive, ultra-talented filmmaker.
Very highly recommended.
