A NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA RELEASE
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 pitting
Christian against Muslim, a young couple lie dead in each other's
arms on a bridge in Sarajevo, Bosnia, shot by sniper fire while
trying to escape the beleaguered city. She is Admira Ismic, a
25-year-old Muslim and he is a 24-year-old Serb named Bosko
Brckic. The international media dubs them "Romeo and Juliet,"
depicting them in death as a 20th-century version of
Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers.
Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo is their story, full of surprising twists and turns as it explores the history of this tormented
region through the lives of an ordinary couple caught up in a
deadly struggle.
As the military conflict escalates, Bosko and Admira's families
come to each other's aid in their hour of need, as do old friends,
proving that loyalty is more resilient than the divisions imposed
by religion or politics.
From Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker John
Zaritsky, and producer Virginia Storring, Romeo and Juliet in
Sarajevo illuminates not only the great tragedy of war but also
the ultimate and enduring power of love.
Director:
Producers:
John Zaritsky
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 110
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©1995 National Film Board of Canada P.O. Box 6100, Station Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3H5
Printed in Canada
9194110
"This film is a wonder, as richly plotted
and detailed as a drama, but as honest a
documentary work as you're liable to see."
— Tony Atherton, The Ottawa Citizen
SARAJEVO
ROMEO AND JULIET IN SARAJEVO is a poignant and powerful
documentary about the interlocking destinies of two young lovers
shot down amidst the carnage of besieged Sarajevo. Through
their story, the seemingly endless conflict which has convulsed
Bosnia comes into focus.
Although it was the first time in six centuries that a member of
Bosko's family had fallen in love with a Muslim, his family and
hers embraced the news and accepted each into its fold. Despite
their religious differences, both families were part of the ideal
that Sarajevo had come to represent, a melting pot which was
filled with tolerance and confidence.
In the spring of 1992, Bosnian Serbs laid siege to Sarajevo and
events were beginning to engulf the couple's families. Bosko and
Admira continued to see one another through all the fighting, but
the couple knew they would have to get out.
It was an arrangement orchestrated by Bosko's friend Celo, a
Muslim gang leader who controlled much of the city's drugs and
protection rackets. No more than 20 metres from their goal,
Bosko was shot first, followed by Admira, who crawled to her
lover and hugged him before she, too, died. Learning that he was
a Serb and she a Muslim, the international media dubbed them
"Romeo and Juliet," and their tragic end made headlines around
the globe.
While each side of the conflict pointed fingers as to who was to
blame, the bodies remained on the bridge for eight days. They
were eventually buried as part of a funeral service for a Serbian
soldier.
Interviewed in Bosnia and Serbia, the couple's parents are left
with the memories and the grief. Bosko's mother says she can
never bring herself to return to Sarajevo now that she has seen
what the war has done. Her dreams are gone. And echoing the
relentless tragedy of this war, Admira's father vows at the film's
conclusion to bring the killers to justice.
Writer and Director
John Zaritsky
Producer
Virginia Starring
Editor
Richard Wells
Director of Photography
Michael Savoie
Narrator
Will Lyman
Original Music
Mason Daring
Associate Producer
Zoran Stevanovic
Sound Recordists
Faud Mulaha Sanovic
(Sarajevo)
Branko Djordjevic
(Belgrade)
Assistant to the Producer
Steve Milosevic
Additional Editing
Eric Goddard
Production Coordinator
Julie Johnson
Stock Footage
CNN, WTN, ITN, BIN, RTS
Jalbert Productions,
Reuters TV
English Voice Casting
Linda Grierson
English Voices
Michael Hogan
Nancy Beatty
Justin Louis
Cynthia Eastman
Charmion King
Lubo Mykytiuk
Peter Outerbridge
Damir Andrei
Soo Garay
Amos Crawley
Joshua Satok
Producer/
Executive Producer (NFB)
Dennis Murphy
Producer (CBC)
Mark Starowicz
Executive Producer (WGBH)
David Fanning
82 minutes
Order number: 9194110
Admira's
father,
(Zio) and
sister
(Amela)
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 tame
compared 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 theme
M = media literacy theme
P = political/social and psychological/religious theme
BEFORE VIEWING: SOME IMPORTANT QUESTIONS
1. Does love conquer all, or are revenge and hate more powerful? L
2. Under what circumstances can friends become enemies? Can you see yourself ever becoming
an enemy with someone who is currently a friend? P
3. 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 and
nothing 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, how
would you describe "Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo"? M
PARTI
1. 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 P
2. How representative of young people everywhere were Bosko and Admira? L
3. Characterize Bosko and Admira as people.
What traits, flaws, and strengths did they seem to hove? Can you identify with them? L
4. 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 about
mixed dating? L P
5. In 1992 fighting erupted in Bosnia and the siege of Sarajevo began. What were the hopes of
Bosko and Admira's families when the fighting first began? L P
6. Why did some citizens leave Sarajevo to take part in the fighting? P
7. 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 II
1. 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 would
you have done? P
2. Did Bosko and Admira's relationship change as a result of the war? How did the war
affect 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? P
5. 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 as
they unfolded.
6. Is it possible for film, television or newspapers to be objective, or do we have to wait
until things settle until the conflict becomes "history," or until all of the reports are in
before making judgements? Justify your view. M
7. How did Bosko and Admira help others caught up in the conflict? P
PART III
1. Describe conditions in Sarajevo during the first winter of the fighting. How did people cope? P
2. What is a "block market"? Is it inevitable in wartime? Is it a "good thing" or a "had teg"? P
3. Was Misa a "hero" or a "villain"? How did his defection to Serbia affect the lives of
Bosko and Admira? P L
4. What event triggered Bosko's decision to leave Sarajevo? What did the families think of
his decision? P L
5. What preparations did Bosko and Admira make to leave? Why did they choose to take
these particular preparatory actions? P L
PART IV
1. Why did Bosko and Admira die? Who was responsible? P L
2. "In the end, love conquered all." What evidence can you find to support or refute this
statement? L
3. What role did the United Nations play in this conflict? P
4. Did the deaths of Bosko and Admira affect the nature or course of the war? Explain. M P L
5. 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 QUESTIONS
1. Are we prisoners of our culture and our history? Could the events in and around Sarajevo
happen anywhere or anytime? P
2. What has happened since the events in this film were recorded? P
3. Is there a moral or message in this story? If so, what is it? L P M
4. Does the title "Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo" fit the events of the film? Explain. M
5. To what extent is this film the "media event" Admira wanted to avoid? M
6. Do the visual images of the conflict add to or detract from the story of Admira and Bosko? M P
Alternative Approach
The teacher may provide a worksheet or series of prompts to guide discussion and the
recording of important information. Prompts might be used to ask students to summarize,
predict, describe, elaborate, determine the main idea, compare, formulate questions, and
identify aspects which interested or confused them about the film.
Thanks to the students of Inglenook Alternative School in Toronto for their responses to this
film. Study guide written by John Myers, History/Contemporary Studies Consultant, Toronto
Board of Education.