For anyone expecting something shocking and outrageous, this film will somewhat disappoint. I had heard a lot about activist groups trying to block this film from screening in certain countries but such a reputation only makes the film more intriguing than it actually turns out to be.
I did learn a lot here though as this well-produced documentary fills in the gaps on what the difference is between Bosnian Serbs, Bosniaks, and Serbians in the country of Serbia. Having grown up in America in the 90's with only mainstream news filling me in on the details, I had never been all too clear on the conflict other than it being some sort of ethnic tension over the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Is the documentary biased in favor of the Bosnian Serbs just as American media was biased against them? Certainly, however the documentary does maintain some surprisingly balanced objectivity in its discussion of the war crimes committed by both sides.
This film invests heavily in two areas; the lengthy history of how the Bosnian Serbs got to where they are today and some travelogue style celebration of their current culture and historical sites. We see the host take us skiing, sample cuisine, dance with a basement band, and leap off a historic bridge into the Neretva. However, the film does not really tie things into the current geopolitical environment at all. It seems to avoid discussing the relationship between the Bosnian Serbs and the country of Serbia at all. Do the Bosnian Serbs actually enjoy the status quo, or do they want to be absorbed into the Greater Serbia? What would happen then? Would we get another situation similar to the Donbas situation of 2014, or is the current situation a result of fatigue over so many years of war already? These questions may be obvious to Serbian viewers, but would need to be answered to help persuade an outsider like myself in one way or another. I was left confused over what the thrust was, other than to make us think a little differently about the 90's Balkan Wars from what was presented by the mainstream media.
It did give me a new impression of why Serbs may be considered so "dangerous" by so many invading powers in that they have a strong tradition of liberty for hundreds of years. It makes a few broad, disputable historical claims to the point but makes no mention of the Yugoslavian Monarchy or the Chetnik Royalists (which significantly would muddy the waters), but overall stands as a valuable piece to balance out what we've heard elsewhere.
I did learn a lot here though as this well-produced documentary fills in the gaps on what the difference is between Bosnian Serbs, Bosniaks, and Serbians in the country of Serbia. Having grown up in America in the 90's with only mainstream news filling me in on the details, I had never been all too clear on the conflict other than it being some sort of ethnic tension over the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Is the documentary biased in favor of the Bosnian Serbs just as American media was biased against them? Certainly, however the documentary does maintain some surprisingly balanced objectivity in its discussion of the war crimes committed by both sides.
This film invests heavily in two areas; the lengthy history of how the Bosnian Serbs got to where they are today and some travelogue style celebration of their current culture and historical sites. We see the host take us skiing, sample cuisine, dance with a basement band, and leap off a historic bridge into the Neretva. However, the film does not really tie things into the current geopolitical environment at all. It seems to avoid discussing the relationship between the Bosnian Serbs and the country of Serbia at all. Do the Bosnian Serbs actually enjoy the status quo, or do they want to be absorbed into the Greater Serbia? What would happen then? Would we get another situation similar to the Donbas situation of 2014, or is the current situation a result of fatigue over so many years of war already? These questions may be obvious to Serbian viewers, but would need to be answered to help persuade an outsider like myself in one way or another. I was left confused over what the thrust was, other than to make us think a little differently about the 90's Balkan Wars from what was presented by the mainstream media.
It did give me a new impression of why Serbs may be considered so "dangerous" by so many invading powers in that they have a strong tradition of liberty for hundreds of years. It makes a few broad, disputable historical claims to the point but makes no mention of the Yugoslavian Monarchy or the Chetnik Royalists (which significantly would muddy the waters), but overall stands as a valuable piece to balance out what we've heard elsewhere.