A small country with a large filmography.
Twenty-three films, chosen for what they did: the partisan epics that China watched by the hundred million, the Sarajevo of Kusturica and Sidran, the one Oscar, the Berlin bear, and the directors who came after the war.
The films
Verified awards only. Ratings, posters and trailer links from the draft were removed: they were unsourced or placeholders.
- 1969The Battle of Neretva · Bitka na Neretvidir. Veljko Bulajić · War, Drama, Epic · 175 min
In 1943, Axis forces surround Partisan troops and thousands of wounded soldiers near the Neretva River in Bosnia. The Partisans execute a legendary tactic by blowing up the Neretva bridge.
Oscar nomineeYugoslav era - 1972Walter Defends Sarajevo · Valter brani Sarajevodir. Hajrudin Krvavac · Action, War, History · 133 min
During WWII in occupied Sarajevo, Nazi forces prepare a massive armored retreat. A secretive partisan leader known only as "Walter" thwarts their operation in a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game.
Yugoslav era - 1981Do You Remember Dolly Bell? · Sjećaš li se Dolly Bell?dir. Emir Kusturica · Drama, Coming-of-Age, Romance · 110 min
In 1960s Sarajevo, a teenager enamored with Western rock music and hypnotism is tasked by a local petty criminal to shelter a young dancer named Dolly Bell, leading to his first deep awakening.
Oscar submissionYugoslav era - 1985When Father Was Away on Business · Otac na službenom putudir. Emir Kusturica · Drama, Comedy, History · 136 min
Told through the naive eyes of a young boy in 1950s Sarajevo, a family copes with the sudden political arrest and labor camp exile of the father during the Tito-Stalin split era.
Oscar nomineeYugoslav era - 1988Time of the Gypsies · Dom za vešanjedir. Emir Kusturica · Drama, Crime, Fantasy · 142 min
A young Romani teenager in Sarajevo with telekinetic powers is lured into the criminal underworld of Milan to pay for his sick sister’s medical care, suffering heartbreak and betrayal.
Oscar submissionYugoslav era - 1989Kuduz · Kuduzdir. Ademir Kenović · Crime, Drama, Romance · 105 min
Based on a true story in suburban Sarajevo, a released convict falls deeply in love with an alluring woman. When jealousy and betrayal erupt, his passion turns into a tragic downward spiral.
Yugoslav era - 1994The Awkward Age · Magareće godinedir. Nenad Dizdarević · Comedy, Drama, History · 98 min
Based on Branko Ćopić’s nostalgic novel about schoolboy adventures and rebellions in 1930s Bihać, completed amidst the height of the Bosnian war.
Oscar submissionWartime - 1997Perfect Circle · Savršeni krugdir. Ademir Kenović · War, Drama · 110 min
In besieged Sarajevo, a solitary poet who sent his wife and daughter to safety shelters two orphaned brothers accompanied by their dog, forming an unbreakable bond of survival.
Post-war - 2001No Man's Land · Ničija zemljadir. Danis Tanović · War, Drama, Dark Comedy · 98 min
Two enemy soldiers, a Bosnian and a Serb, find themselves trapped together in a trench between lines in 1993. Tensions escalate when a third soldier is discovered lying on a bouncing landmine that will explode if he moves.
Oscar winnerPost-war - 2003Fuse · Gori vatradir. Pjer Žalica · Comedy, Drama · 105 min
Two years after the Bosnian War, the small town of Tešanj learns US President Bill Clinton will pay a brief visit. Divided ethnic factions rush into frantic, hilarious corruption cleanup to impress the Americans.
Oscar submissionPost-war - 2003Summer in the Golden Valley · Ljeto u zlatnoj dolinidir. Srđan Vuletić · Drama, Crime, Coming-of-Age · 105 min
A 16-year-old boy in post-war Sarajevo tries to clear his deceased father’s honor after discovering a false debt, entangling himself with local underworld figures.
Post-war - 2004Days and Hours · Kod amidže Idrizadir. Pjer Žalica · Drama · 94 min
An apartment mechanic visits his elderly uncle Idriz and aunt in a traditional Sarajevo neighborhood to fix a heater, uncovering quiet grief and unspoken post-war family reconciliation.
Oscar submissionPost-war - 2006Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams · Grbavicadir. Jasmila Žbanić · Drama · 90 min
In post-war Sarajevo, single mother Esma struggles to afford a school excursion for her teenage daughter Sara. Sara believes her father was a fallen war hero, but Esma harbors a painful secret.
Oscar submissionPost-war - 2007It's Hard to Be Nice · Teško je biti findir. Srđan Vuletić · Comedy, Drama · 102 min
A taxi driver in Sarajevo tired of petty criminality decides to become a completely good, honest person. However, his surroundings make being nice extraordinarily chaotic.
Oscar submissionPost-war - 2008Snow · Snijegdir. Aida Begić · Drama · 99 min
In 1997, in an isolated Bosnian village populated almost entirely by women whose men vanished during the war, the women build a jam production collective to resist predatory foreign land developers.
Oscar submissionPost-war - 2012Children of Sarajevo · Djecadir. Aida Begić · Drama · 90 min
An orphaned young woman who converted to conservative Islam works in a restaurant while raising her rebellious younger brother in transitional Sarajevo.
Oscar submissionmodern - 2013An Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker · Epizoda u životu berača željezadir. Danis Tanović · Drama, Docudrama · 75 min
A impoverished Romani family living in rural Bosnia faces tragedy when the mother suffers a dangerous miscarriage, but hospitals refuse surgery because they lack health insurance.
Oscar submissionmodern - 2016Death in Sarajevo · Smrt u Sarajevudir. Danis Tanović · Drama · 85 min
On the 100th anniversary of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, an iconic hotel in Sarajevo prepares for a European delegation while hotel staff plan a strike over unpaid wages.
Oscar submissionmodern - 2017Men Don't Cry · Muškarci ne plačudir. Alen Drljević · Drama · 98 min
Twenty years after the Yugoslav wars, a group of veterans who fought on opposing sides assemble at a remote mountain hotel for a peace workshop led by a Slovenian therapist.
Oscar submissionmodern - 2020Quo Vadis, Aida? · Quo Vadis, Aida?dir. Jasmila Žbanić · Drama, War, History · 104 min
In July 1995, Aida is a UN translator in the small town of Srebrenica. When the Army of Republika Srpska takes over the city, her family is among thousands seeking shelter in the UN camp.
Oscar nomineemodern - 2021Not So Friendly Neighborhood Amore · Deset u poladir. Danis Tanović · Comedy · 90 min
During post-pandemic summer in Baščaršija (Sarajevo Old Town), two lifelong friends running rival ćevapi restaurants spark an all-out food war over who makes the absolute best ćevapi in town.
modern - 2023Excursion · Ekskurzijadir. Una Gunjak · Drama, Coming-of-Age · 93 min
As a class field trip approaches, 15-year-old Iman in Sarajevo bluffs during a game of truth or dare that she slept with her crush, setting off a rumor mill that spiraling out of control.
Oscar submissionmodern - 2023Sirin · Sirindir. Senad Šahmanović · Drama, Mystery · 85 min
A lawyer returns to Montenegro from the United States after twenty years to handle an inheritance case involving a bequest to the Orthodox church, and finds the past waiting for her.
Oscar submissionmodern
Where they were shot
Films by decade
Glossary
Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF) · Sarajevo Film Festival
Founded in 1995 during the Siege of Sarajevo, SFF has grown into the premier and largest film festival in Southeast Europe, attracting world cinema masters and debuting top regional talent.
Examples: No Man's Land, Gori vatra, Deset u pola, Quo Vadis, Aida?
Heart of Sarajevo · Srce Sarajeva
The main award given at the Sarajevo Film Festival across categories (Best Feature, Best Director, Best Actor/Actress, Documentary, Short Film). Designed by French designer Agnès B.
Examples: Gori vatra, It's Hard to Be Nice
Partisan Film · Partizanski film
A distinct genre of Yugoslav cinema focused on WWII anti-fascist partisan resistance against Axis powers, blending action, heroism, and epic landscapes. Hajrudin Krvavac was its legendary maestro.
Examples: Valter brani Sarajevo, Bitka na Neretvi, Kozara
Bosna Film & Sutjeska Film · Bosna Film / Sutjeska Film
The state-backed film production studios established in post-WWII Bosnia and Herzegovina that produced foundational classics from the 1950s through 1980s.
Examples: Hanka, Valter brani Sarajevo, Sjećaš li se Dolly Bell?
New Primitivism · Novi primitivizam
A famous Sarajevo cultural and artistic movement in the 1980s characterized by self-deprecating humor, urban slang, rock music, and satirical social commentary, heavily influencing Bosnian cinema.
Examples: Do You Remember Dolly Bell?, Kuduz
Dayton Peace Agreement Cinema · Postratna kinematografija
Films created after the 1995 peace agreement that confront the emotional trauma, missing persons, corruption, humor, and social rebuilding in post-war Bosnia.
Examples: Perfect Circle, Grbavica, Days and Hours, Fuse
Golden Bear & Palme d’Or Winners · Međunarodna priznanja
Bosnian cinema punches far above its weight internationally, having claimed the Cannes Palme d’Or (When Father Was Away on Business), Berlin Golden Bear (Grbavica), and Academy Award (No Man’s Land).
Examples: When Father Was Away on Business, Grbavica, No Man's Land, Quo Vadis, Aida?
Sevdah in Cinema · Sevdalinka u filmu
The inclusion of traditional Bosnian melancholic music (Sevdalinka) to heighten emotional storytelling, longing, and cultural soul in Bosnian films.
Examples: Kuduz, Days and Hours, Sevdah za Karalema
Fact-checking corrected three Oscar statuses, removed a non-existent 'Felix' win for Kuduz and a non-existent Bratislava award for Men Don't Cry, and replaced an 'Amnesty prize' for Grbavica with the Ecumenical Jury prize it actually won.