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In “Quo Vadis, Aida?,” Jasmila Žbanić’s swift and shattering movie about the 1995 Srebrenica massacre, a woman climbs onto a small structure and stares out over a barbed-wire fence into a sea of weary bodies and frightened faces. This is Aida (Jasna Đuričić), and she’s searching for some of her family members, but as the camera pans across the crowd, echoing her desperate gaze, the enormity of the tragedy at hand comes into focus.
It’s not the last time Aida will experience this elevated vantage, sometimes with a megaphone in hand as she translates instructions and information for her fellow refugees. She knows her words are worthless, a mix of vague reassurances and outright lies; she also knows that, under the circumstances, hearing the truth might be just as futile.
Through the eyes of a translator moving between the different ethnic factions, director Jasmila Žbanić musters real tragic power and clear-eyed compassion revisiting the massacre 25 years on
A still from Quo Vadis Aida?
- Credit: Archant
Directed by Jasmila Zbanic. Starring Jasna Djuricic, Izudin Bajrovic, Boris Ler, Dino Bajrovic, Johan Heldenbergh, Raymond Thiry and Boris Isakovic. Subtitled. Available VOD from January 22. Running time: 101 mins. 3/5 stars
It s not El Cid, James but the amalgamation of a sword and sandals epic with a quaint, old fashioned women s name in the title is a problem.
Even if you know that this is a harrowing account of a Balkan war atrocity, you instinctively expect something light-hearted: an Alan Bennett monologue for Thora Hird, perhaps.
Aida (Djuricic) is a translator for the UN force outside Srebenica in 1995, trying to save her family as the Dutch soldiers in blue helmets wilt before the might of General Mladic. (Isakovic)
Oscars Predictions: Best International Feature - Tunisia s The Man Who Sold His Skin Surges Before Voting
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Variety s Awards Circuit is home to the official predictions for the upcoming Oscars from Film Awards Editor Clayton Davis. Following Academy Awards history, buzz, news, reviews and sources, the Oscar predictions are updated regularly with the current year s contenders in all categories. Variety s Awards Circuit Prediction schedule consists of four phases, running all year long: Draft, Pre-Season, Regular Season and Post Season. Eligibility calendar and dates of awards will determine how long each phase lasts and will be displayed next to revision date.