After the War: Life Post-Yugoslavia 2007
Produced by A Million Movies A Minute
Directed by Jasmila Zbanic, Corinne van Egeraat, Roberto Forns-Broggi, Sheila Sofian, and Zelimir Gvardiol
DVD , color, 150 min.
Sr. High - Adult
Ethics, European Studies, History, Holocaust/Genocide Studies, Human Rights, International Relations, Law, Political Science, Sociology
Date Entered: 02/05/2010
Reviewed by Douglas Reed, Department of Political Science, Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, ARThe scars of war run deep in After the War: Life Post-Yugoslavia. For those depicted in this eclectic set of nine short films, hope and progress seem out of reach.
Most poignant are the heart-wrenching stories of immense loss that have no resolution. In Red Rubber Boots a mother watches as workers sift through a mass grave for her children’s remains, hoping at the very least to locate the shoes her son was wearing when he was abducted. Ravens is a searing reminder of how families are torn apart by differing allegiances to the Milosevic regime.
Striking images also speak volumes for those who survived the brutal ethnic clashes in the former Yugoslavia. Close-ups of weather-beaten faces and craggy hands tell the story of the forgotten elderly population in I Don’t Know Where, Or When, Or How. In contrast, a serene mountainous landscape is the setting for Cowboys in Kosovo, a cathartic adventure of four relatives who re-enact their favorite American westerns just as they did in childhood.
One of the more creative elements is the use of animation in an interview with an 11-year-old Bosnian refugee. In A Conversation with Haris a series of animated drawings illustrate the boy’s horrific wartime experiences.
Screened at numerous festivals and honored with a variety of prestigious awards worldwide, After the War: Life Post-Yugoslavia is a stark reminder of the human toll of war.
Recommended for academic libraries, After the War: Life Post-Yugoslavia would be a useful resource in political science and contemporary issues courses.