Welcome to Sarajevo (1997)

Director:

Michael Winterbottom

Writers:

Michael Nicholson (book)
Frank Cottrell Boyce (writer)

Release Date:

26 November 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | War

Tagline:

For this celebrated, outrageous, adrenaline-loving bunch of reporters, home is the latest war zone. Now, one of them is about to do the unthinkable--get emotionally involved.

Plot:

Journalist Floyd from US, Michael Henderson from UK and their teams meet the beginning of Bosnian war in Sarajevo...

Plot Keywords:

Orphanage | England | Sarajevo | Journalist | Bosnian War

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Stephen Dillane	...	Michael Henderson
Woody Harrelson	...	Flynn
Marisa Tomei	...	Nina
Emira Nusevic	...	Emira
Kerry Fox	...	Jane Carson
Goran Visnjic	...	Risto Bavic
James Nesbitt	...	Gregg
Emily Lloyd	...	Annie McGee
Igor Dzambazov	...	Jacket
Gordana Gadzic	...	Mrs. Savic
Juliet Aubrey	...	Helen Henderson
Drazen Sivak	...	Zeljko
Vesna Orel	...	Munira
Davor Janjic	...	Dragan
Vladimir Jokanovic	...	Emira's Uncle

Also Known As:

Sarajevo (UK) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for brutal images/war atrocities and language.

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Serbo-Croatian

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Singapore:NC-16 | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Norway:15 | Portugal:M/16 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Company:

Channel Four Films

Goofs:

Continuity: When the bus is stopped by the Chetniks, the gun of the leader alternates between being a type of Kalashnikov and a French FAMAS.

Quotes:

Flynn: Sometimes I think I'll never leave this place.
Michael Henderson: Sometimes *I* think you'll never leave.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The 100 Greatest War Films (2005) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Shine On

A powerful tour through hell on Earth

What "Welcome To Sarajevo" did was open my eyes and help me realize how fortunate I am. Sarajevo was a peaceful, metropolitan city not unlike many cities in North America. But it is no longer. It's almost too easy to clear your mind of the strife going on in other parts of the world. Sometimes we feel guilty for being so fortunate. Sometimes we feel horror at the news reports of inhuman atrocities. And most times we shut out the reality of it as it is rarely affecting us in a personal way.

This gripping tale of war-torn Sarajevo is told through the eyes of British reporters. It will probably shock, jar and depress you, but it will most certainly increase your sense of global awareness, and instill a better appreciation of the liberties that most of us have taken for granted. Images from concentration camps hauntingly mimic those from fifty years ago.

This film is based on an amazing true story of one man's personal involvement and promise to rescue one refugee child and the great lengths to which he must go to deliver her from a war zone.

I caught this film in its limited theatrical run following its inclusion in the 1997 Toronto Film Festival. I exited the theater with my wife in a staggering awe-struck state. No one could fully communicate what it would be like to live in a war zone, but this film gives you a potent taste without pulling any punches.

What this means is that most people will likely find it difficult to recommend this film to friends. It's not an uplifting tale, but it is an extremely important one, and I feel privileged and fortunate for having seen it.