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SARAJE"An admirable job of exploring the roots and history of
this romance,
while also revealing more about the unending nightmare of the
war itself."— John Haslett Cuff, The Globe and Mail
"A brave, insightful piece of filmmaking, and a credit to the
documentary genre."— Greg Quill, The Toronto Star
"Romantic and tragic."— Patricia Brennan, The Washington
Post
It is the spring of 1993. Amidst a brutal Balkan war
pittingChristian against Muslim, a young couple lie dead in each
other'sarms on a bridge in Sarajevo, Bosnia, shot by sniper fire
whiletrying to escape the beleaguered city. She is Admira Ismic,
a25-year-old Muslim and he is a 24-year-old Serb named BoskoBrckic.
The international media dubs them "Romeo and Juliet,"depicting them
in death as a 20th-century version ofShakespeare's star-crossed
lovers.
Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo is their story, full of surpris-ing
twists and turns as it explores the history of this tormentedregion
through the lives of an ordinary couple caught up in adeadly
struggle.
As the military conflict escalates, Bosko and Admira's
familiescome to each other's aid in their hour of need, as do old
friends,proving that loyalty is more resilient than the divisions
imposedby religion or politics.
From Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker JohnZaritsky,
and producer Virginia Storring, Romeo and Juliet inSarajevo
illuminates not only the great tragedy of war but alsothe ultimate
and enduring power of love.
Director: John ZaritskyProducers: Virginia Storring, Dennis
Murphy (NFB)
Mark Starowicz (CBC), Michael Sullivan (WGBH)
Produced by K.A. Productions Inc. for PBS "Frontline"in
association with the National Film Board of Canada and
the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
82 minutes • Order number: 9194 110FB VIDEO SALES
1-800-267-7710
ISy Closed captioned.Ĵll A decoder is required.
This video is cleared for classroom use and public performance
providing no entry fee is charged.Unauthorized duplication,
cablecast or broadcast is a violation of Canadian copyright
taws.
©1995 National Film Board of Canada P.O. Box 6100, Station
Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3H5Printed in Canada
A NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA RELEASE
VMS9194110
"This film is a wonder, as richly plottedand detailed as a
drama, but as honest adocumentary work as you're liable to
see."
— Tony Atherton, The Ottawa Citizen
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SARAJEVOROMEO AND JULIET IN SARAJEVO is a poignant and
powerfuldocumentary about the interlocking destinies of two young
loversshot down amidst the carnage of besieged Sarajevo.
Throughtheir story, the seemingly endless conflict which has
convulsedBosnia comes into focus.
Although it was the first time in six centuries that a member
ofBosko's family had fallen in love with a Muslim, his family
andhers embraced the news and accepted each into its fold.
Despitetheir religious differences, both families were part of the
idealthat Sarajevo had come to represent, a melting pot which
wasfilled with tolerance and confidence.
In the spring of 1992, Bosnian Serbs laid siege to Sarajevo
andevents were beginning to engulf the couple's families. Bosko
andAdmira continued to see one another through all the fighting,
butthe couple knew they would have to get out.
It was an arrangement orchestrated by Bosko's friend Celo,
aMuslim gang leader who controlled much of the city's drugs
andprotection rackets. No more than 20 metres from their goal,Bosko
was shot first, followed by Admira, who crawled to herlover and
hugged him before she, too, died. Learning that he wasa Serb and
she a Muslim, the international media dubbed them"Romeo and
Juliet," and their tragic end made headlines aroundthe globe.
While each side of the conflict pointed fingers as to who was
toblame, the bodies remained on the bridge for eight days. Theywere
eventually buried as part of a funeral service for a
Serbiansoldier.
Interviewed in Bosnia and Serbia, the couple's parents are
leftwith the memories and the grief. Bosko's mother says she
cannever bring herself to return to Sarajevo now that she has
seenwhat the war has done. Her dreams are gone. And echoing
therelentless tragedy of this war, Admira's father vows at the
film'sconclusion to bring the killers to justice.
Writer and DirectorJohn Zaritsky
ProducerVirginia Starring
EditorRichard Wells
Director of PhotographyMichael Savoie
NarratorWill LymanOriginal Music
Mason DaringAssociate Producer
Zoran StevanovicSound Recordists
Faud Mulaha Sanovic(Sarajevo)
Branko Djordjevic(Belgrade)
Assistant to the ProducerSteve Milosevic
Additional EditingEric Goddard
Production CoordinatorJulie Johnson
Stock FootageCNN, WTN, ITN, BIN, RTS
Jalbert Productions,Reuters TV
English Voice CastingLinda Grierson
English VoicesMichael HoganNancy BeattyJustin Louis
Cynthia EastmanCharmion KingLubo Mykytiuk
Peter OuterbridgeDamir Andrei
Soo GarayAmos CrawleyJoshua Satok
Producer/Executive Producer (NFB)
Dennis MurphyProducer (CBC)
Mark StarowiczExecutive Producer (WGBH)
David Fanning82 minutes
Order number: 9194110
Admira'sfather,
(Zio) andsister
(Amela)
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STUDY GUIDE
SUGGESTIONS FOR VIEWING THE FILM• This film can be used in a
variety of classes such as:
-politics-public issues analysis-world religions-values
education and ethical reasoning-media studies
• Suggested audience: students aged 16 years and up.• You might
warn your classes that some of the news footage of the fighting in
and around
Sarajevo is graphic, especially at the beginning of the film.
While the violence is tamecompared to many mainstream movies, it
may be a little unsettling since it is real.
•The film is complex and runs for 82 minutes; it may be best to
show it over several classes.The film has been divided into four
sections, each approximately 20 minutes long.The questions below
are in sequence for easy planning.
• The film can be explored thematically. The questions have been
coded for this purpose as follows:L = love story themeM = media
literacy themeP = political/social and psychological/religious
theme
BEFORE VIEWING: SOME IMPORTANT QUESTIONS1. Does love conquer
all, or are revenge and hate more powerful? L2. Under what
circumstances can friends become enemies? Can you see yourself ever
becoming
an enemy with someone who is currently a friend? P3. How would
you define the following terms: "documentary," "docudrama,"
"tabloid?"
Rank these terms in order of "truthfulness." Con any film tell
"the truth, the whole truth andnothing but the truth?" Explain. As
you view the film, which of these terms best describes"Romeo and
Juliet in Sarajevo"? If none of these terms describes the nature of
this film, howwould you describe "Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo"?
M
PARTI1. What is your emotional/instinctive/immediate reaction to
the opening scenes and to the news
accounts of the deaths of Admira and Bosko? M L P2. How
representative of young people everywhere were Bosko and Admira?
L3. Characterize Bosko and Admira as people.
What traits, flaws, and strengths did they seem to hove? Can you
identify with them? L4. How would you characterize the members of
Bosko's and Admira's families? What were their
views on Serbs and Muslims dating? What views do people in
Canada today have aboutmixed dating? L P
5. In 1992 fighting erupted in Bosnia and the siege of Sarajevo
began. What were the hopes ofBosko and Admira's families when the
fighting first began? L P
6. Why did some citizens leave Sarajevo to take part in the
fighting? P7. What did the Serbian priest mean when he stated that
"this was the last opportunity for
accounts to be settled?" Does someone always have to win when
there is a conflict?Can bygones ever be bygones? How are conflicts
among individuals and nationalities similar?How do they differ?
P
PART II1. What was Bosko's dilemma and subsequent decision when
the fighting began around
Sarajevo? Why did he decide on this course of action? If you
were Bosko, what wouldyou have done? P
2. Did Bosko and Admira's relationship change as a result of the
war? How did the waraffect their families? L
3. Was Celo a "hero" or o "villain"? What do you think of Celo's
motives for defending"his town"? P
4. How could someone get out of Sarajevo? P5. Is the film an
objective record of the events and motives of the participants?
Justify yaw
answer by referring to the language used to describe the
combatants or the events asthey unfolded.
6. Is it possible for film, television or newspapers to be
objective, or do we have to waituntil things settle until the
conflict becomes "history," or until all of the reports are
inbefore making judgements? Justify your view. M
7. How did Bosko and Admira help others caught up in the
conflict? P
PART III1. Describe conditions in Sarajevo during the first
winter of the fighting. How did people cope? P2. What is a "block
market"? Is it inevitable in wartime? Is it a "good thing" or a
"had teg"? P3. Was Misa a "hero" or a "villain"? How did his
defection to Serbia affect the lives of
Bosko and Admira? P L4. What event triggered Bosko's decision to
leave Sarajevo? What did the families think of
his decision? P L5. What preparations did Bosko and Admira make
to leave? Why did they choose to take
these particular preparatory actions? P L
PART IV1. Why did Bosko and Admira die? Who was responsible? P
L2. "In the end, love conquered all." What evidence can you find to
support or refute this
statement? L3. What role did the United Nations play in this
conflict? P4. Did the deaths of Bosko and Admira affect the nature
or course of the war? Explain. M P L5. As you listen to Admira's
father at the end of the film, do you think his thoughts, if
carried
out, will end the war or continue the cycle of violence?
Explain. P
AFTER VIEWING: SOME IMPORTANT QUESTIONS1. Are we prisoners of
our culture and our history? Could the events in and around
Sarajevo
happen anywhere or anytime? P2. What has happened since the
events in this film were recorded? P3. Is there a moral or message
in this story? If so, what is it? L P M4. Does the title "Romeo and
Juliet in Sarajevo" fit the events of the film? Explain. M5. To
what extent is this film the "media event" Admira wanted to avoid?
M6. Do the visual images of the conflict add to or detract from the
story of Admira and Bosko? M P
Alternative ApproachThe teacher may provide a worksheet or
series of prompts to guide discussion and therecording of important
information. Prompts might be used to ask students to
summarize,predict, describe, elaborate, determine the main idea,
compare, formulate questions, andidentify aspects which interested
or confused them about the film.
Thanks to the students of Inglenook Alternative School in
Toronto for their responses to thisfilm. Study guide written by
John Myers, History/Contemporary Studies Consultant, TorontoBoard
of Education.