Anyone who remembers Denis Villeneuve's "Incendies" about the horrors of the war in Lebanon and the quest of two children to find the secrets behind their mother's past during that conflict will undoubtedly resonate with viewers watching Halima's Path.
The screenplay written by Fedja Isovic, the man behind the brilliant comedy series "Lud, zbunjen, normalan" (Crazy, confused, normal), is a powerful family story set during an evolving time period in Bosnia's recent history. The movie starts off in 1977 in a village in western Bosnia set behind a backdrop of conservative rural ideas and spans 23 years to lead us to year 2000, 5 years after the end of the war that ravaged Bosnia-Herzegovina. Through flashbacks and an invigorating pace we follow Halima's attempt to identify the missing body of her 15 year old son taken by Serb forces in 1993.
This harrowing tale of love, loss, discovery, family and ultimately Bosnia and the horrors of war is a resounding success and merited an Oscar nomination for best foreign language film. Arsen Ostojic's directing is impeccable and the beautiful camera work aptly compliments the realistic story and the countryside.
While "Incendies" powerful story understandably made it an Oscar contender, Halima's Path's narrative is stronger and its acting work more genuine and sincere than that of Villeneuve's masterpiece. The lead and supporting characters are almost flawless in their delivery. The only weak point is the child actors, but it doesn't take anything away from the film.
Halima's Path is a human story, with an emotional level that very few movies are able to reach. It is rich with cues and insights into Bosnian culture and its mannerisms, attitudes and dialect traits. And therein lies the hidden gem, made possible by the brilliant understanding of Bosnian culture and its subtleties by Fedja Isovic, subtleties that will certainly go unnoticed by the Western viewer. The film itself is extremely engaging and never makes you feel like you're watching a movie, instead placing you as a silent observer of a family's trials and tribulations.
10/10, a total success. A film which will resonate with viewers and stay in your memory long after the viewing experience is concluded.
The screenplay written by Fedja Isovic, the man behind the brilliant comedy series "Lud, zbunjen, normalan" (Crazy, confused, normal), is a powerful family story set during an evolving time period in Bosnia's recent history. The movie starts off in 1977 in a village in western Bosnia set behind a backdrop of conservative rural ideas and spans 23 years to lead us to year 2000, 5 years after the end of the war that ravaged Bosnia-Herzegovina. Through flashbacks and an invigorating pace we follow Halima's attempt to identify the missing body of her 15 year old son taken by Serb forces in 1993.
This harrowing tale of love, loss, discovery, family and ultimately Bosnia and the horrors of war is a resounding success and merited an Oscar nomination for best foreign language film. Arsen Ostojic's directing is impeccable and the beautiful camera work aptly compliments the realistic story and the countryside.
While "Incendies" powerful story understandably made it an Oscar contender, Halima's Path's narrative is stronger and its acting work more genuine and sincere than that of Villeneuve's masterpiece. The lead and supporting characters are almost flawless in their delivery. The only weak point is the child actors, but it doesn't take anything away from the film.
Halima's Path is a human story, with an emotional level that very few movies are able to reach. It is rich with cues and insights into Bosnian culture and its mannerisms, attitudes and dialect traits. And therein lies the hidden gem, made possible by the brilliant understanding of Bosnian culture and its subtleties by Fedja Isovic, subtleties that will certainly go unnoticed by the Western viewer. The film itself is extremely engaging and never makes you feel like you're watching a movie, instead placing you as a silent observer of a family's trials and tribulations.
10/10, a total success. A film which will resonate with viewers and stay in your memory long after the viewing experience is concluded.