SARAJE"An admirable job of exploring the roots and history of this romance,

while also revealing more about the unending nightmare of the war itself."— John Haslett Cuff, The Globe and Mail

"A brave, insightful piece of filmmaking, and a credit to the documentary genre."— Greg Quill, The Toronto Star

"Romantic and tragic."— Patricia Brennan, The Washington Post

It is the spring of 1993. Amidst a brutal Balkan war pittingChristian against Muslim, a young couple lie dead in each other'sarms on a bridge in Sarajevo, Bosnia, shot by sniper fire whiletrying to escape the beleaguered city. She is Admira Ismic, a25-year-old Muslim and he is a 24-year-old Serb named BoskoBrckic. The international media dubs them "Romeo and Juliet,"depicting them in death as a 20th-century version ofShakespeare's star-crossed lovers.

Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo is their story, full of surpris-ing twists and turns as it explores the history of this tormentedregion through the lives of an ordinary couple caught up in adeadly struggle.

As the military conflict escalates, Bosko and Admira's familiescome to each other's aid in their hour of need, as do old friends,proving that loyalty is more resilient than the divisions imposedby religion or politics.

From Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker JohnZaritsky, and producer Virginia Storring, Romeo and Juliet inSarajevo illuminates not only the great tragedy of war but alsothe ultimate and enduring power of love.

Director: John ZaritskyProducers: Virginia Storring, Dennis Murphy (NFB)

Mark Starowicz (CBC), Michael Sullivan (WGBH)

Produced by K.A. Productions Inc. for PBS "Frontline"in association with the National Film Board of Canada and

the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

82 minutes • Order number: 9194 110FB VIDEO SALES 1-800-267-7710

ISy Closed captioned.Ĵll A decoder is required.

This video is cleared for classroom use and public performance providing no entry fee is charged.Unauthorized duplication, cablecast or broadcast is a violation of Canadian copyright taws.

©1995 National Film Board of Canada P.O. Box 6100, Station Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3H5Printed in Canada

A NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA RELEASE

VMS9194110

"This film is a wonder, as richly plottedand detailed as a drama, but as honest adocumentary work as you're liable to see."

— Tony Atherton, The Ottawa Citizen

SARAJEVOROMEO AND JULIET IN SARAJEVO is a poignant and powerfuldocumentary about the interlocking destinies of two young loversshot down amidst the carnage of besieged Sarajevo. Throughtheir story, the seemingly endless conflict which has convulsedBosnia comes into focus.

Although it was the first time in six centuries that a member ofBosko's family had fallen in love with a Muslim, his family andhers embraced the news and accepted each into its fold. Despitetheir religious differences, both families were part of the idealthat Sarajevo had come to represent, a melting pot which wasfilled with tolerance and confidence.

In the spring of 1992, Bosnian Serbs laid siege to Sarajevo andevents were beginning to engulf the couple's families. Bosko andAdmira continued to see one another through all the fighting, butthe couple knew they would have to get out.

It was an arrangement orchestrated by Bosko's friend Celo, aMuslim gang leader who controlled much of the city's drugs andprotection rackets. No more than 20 metres from their goal,Bosko was shot first, followed by Admira, who crawled to herlover and hugged him before she, too, died. Learning that he wasa Serb and she a Muslim, the international media dubbed them"Romeo and Juliet," and their tragic end made headlines aroundthe globe.

While each side of the conflict pointed fingers as to who was toblame, the bodies remained on the bridge for eight days. Theywere eventually buried as part of a funeral service for a Serbiansoldier.

Interviewed in Bosnia and Serbia, the couple's parents are leftwith the memories and the grief. Bosko's mother says she cannever bring herself to return to Sarajevo now that she has seenwhat the war has done. Her dreams are gone. And echoing therelentless tragedy of this war, Admira's father vows at the film'sconclusion to bring the killers to justice.

Writer and DirectorJohn Zaritsky

ProducerVirginia Starring

EditorRichard Wells

Director of PhotographyMichael Savoie

NarratorWill LymanOriginal Music

Mason DaringAssociate Producer

Zoran StevanovicSound Recordists

Faud Mulaha Sanovic(Sarajevo)

Branko Djordjevic(Belgrade)

Assistant to the ProducerSteve Milosevic

Additional EditingEric Goddard

Production CoordinatorJulie Johnson

Stock FootageCNN, WTN, ITN, BIN, RTS

Jalbert Productions,Reuters TV

English Voice CastingLinda Grierson

English VoicesMichael HoganNancy BeattyJustin Louis

Cynthia EastmanCharmion KingLubo Mykytiuk

Peter OuterbridgeDamir Andrei

Soo GarayAmos CrawleyJoshua Satok

Producer/Executive Producer (NFB)

Dennis MurphyProducer (CBC)

Mark StarowiczExecutive Producer (WGBH)

David Fanning82 minutes

Order number: 9194110

Admira'sfather,

(Zio) andsister

(Amela)

STUDY GUIDE

SUGGESTIONS FOR VIEWING THE FILM• This film can be used in a variety of classes such as:

-politics-public issues analysis-world religions-values education and ethical reasoning-media studies

• Suggested audience: students aged 16 years and up.• You might warn your classes that some of the news footage of the fighting in and around

Sarajevo is graphic, especially at the beginning of the film. While the violence is tamecompared to many mainstream movies, it may be a little unsettling since it is real.

•The film is complex and runs for 82 minutes; it may be best to show it over several classes.The film has been divided into four sections, each approximately 20 minutes long.The questions below are in sequence for easy planning.

• The film can be explored thematically. The questions have been coded for this purpose as follows:L = love story themeM = media literacy themeP = political/social and psychological/religious theme

BEFORE VIEWING: SOME IMPORTANT QUESTIONS1. Does love conquer all, or are revenge and hate more powerful? L2. Under what circumstances can friends become enemies? Can you see yourself ever becoming

an enemy with someone who is currently a friend? P3. How would you define the following terms: "documentary," "docudrama," "tabloid?"

Rank these terms in order of "truthfulness." Con any film tell "the truth, the whole truth andnothing but the truth?" Explain. As you view the film, which of these terms best describes"Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo"? If none of these terms describes the nature of this film, howwould you describe "Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo"? M

PARTI1. What is your emotional/instinctive/immediate reaction to the opening scenes and to the news

accounts of the deaths of Admira and Bosko? M L P2. How representative of young people everywhere were Bosko and Admira? L3. Characterize Bosko and Admira as people.

What traits, flaws, and strengths did they seem to hove? Can you identify with them? L4. How would you characterize the members of Bosko's and Admira's families? What were their

views on Serbs and Muslims dating? What views do people in Canada today have aboutmixed dating? L P

5. In 1992 fighting erupted in Bosnia and the siege of Sarajevo began. What were the hopes ofBosko and Admira's families when the fighting first began? L P

6. Why did some citizens leave Sarajevo to take part in the fighting? P7. What did the Serbian priest mean when he stated that "this was the last opportunity for

accounts to be settled?" Does someone always have to win when there is a conflict?Can bygones ever be bygones? How are conflicts among individuals and nationalities similar?How do they differ? P

PART II1. What was Bosko's dilemma and subsequent decision when the fighting began around

Sarajevo? Why did he decide on this course of action? If you were Bosko, what wouldyou have done? P

2. Did Bosko and Admira's relationship change as a result of the war? How did the waraffect their families? L

3. Was Celo a "hero" or o "villain"? What do you think of Celo's motives for defending"his town"? P

4. How could someone get out of Sarajevo? P5. Is the film an objective record of the events and motives of the participants? Justify yaw

answer by referring to the language used to describe the combatants or the events asthey unfolded.

6. Is it possible for film, television or newspapers to be objective, or do we have to waituntil things settle until the conflict becomes "history," or until all of the reports are inbefore making judgements? Justify your view. M

7. How did Bosko and Admira help others caught up in the conflict? P

PART III1. Describe conditions in Sarajevo during the first winter of the fighting. How did people cope? P2. What is a "block market"? Is it inevitable in wartime? Is it a "good thing" or a "had teg"? P3. Was Misa a "hero" or a "villain"? How did his defection to Serbia affect the lives of

Bosko and Admira? P L4. What event triggered Bosko's decision to leave Sarajevo? What did the families think of

his decision? P L5. What preparations did Bosko and Admira make to leave? Why did they choose to take

these particular preparatory actions? P L

PART IV1. Why did Bosko and Admira die? Who was responsible? P L2. "In the end, love conquered all." What evidence can you find to support or refute this

statement? L3. What role did the United Nations play in this conflict? P4. Did the deaths of Bosko and Admira affect the nature or course of the war? Explain. M P L5. As you listen to Admira's father at the end of the film, do you think his thoughts, if carried

out, will end the war or continue the cycle of violence? Explain. P

AFTER VIEWING: SOME IMPORTANT QUESTIONS1. Are we prisoners of our culture and our history? Could the events in and around Sarajevo

happen anywhere or anytime? P2. What has happened since the events in this film were recorded? P3. Is there a moral or message in this story? If so, what is it? L P M4. Does the title "Romeo and Juliet in Sarajevo" fit the events of the film? Explain. M5. To what extent is this film the "media event" Admira wanted to avoid? M6. Do the visual images of the conflict add to or detract from the story of Admira and Bosko? M P

Alternative ApproachThe teacher may provide a worksheet or series of prompts to guide discussion and therecording of important information. Prompts might be used to ask students to summarize,predict, describe, elaborate, determine the main idea, compare, formulate questions, andidentify aspects which interested or confused them about the film.

Thanks to the students of Inglenook Alternative School in Toronto for their responses to thisfilm. Study guide written by John Myers, History/Contemporary Studies Consultant, TorontoBoard of Education.