Quo Vadis, Aida?

Quo Vadis Aida? is Bosnia & Herzegovina's entry for the International Film Oscar. It's the first film from that country to be nominated after 2001's winner, No Man's Land. Let's see how it is and what I recommend afterwards.

Jasmila Zbanic's bleak drama is set in July, 1995. The Bosnian war is underway. Aida Selmanagic (Jasna Đuričić) is a UN translator in the city of Srebrencia. The town was declared a UN safe zone but the Serbian army invaded anyway. The citizens flee for the nearest UN base, but only a few hundred are allowed in. Among those on the other side are Aida's family; husband Nihad (Izudin Bajrovic) and sons Hamdija (Boris Ler) and Sejo (Dino Bajrovic). She needs to get them to safety.

Serbian General Ratko Mladic (Boris Isakovic) decides to "negotiate" with the Base Commanders. Colonel Karremans (Johan Heldenbergh) needs a few negotiators to help out. Aida gets Nihad, a former principal, to join the negotiating team. She also gets her sons inside the base. Mladic promises Karremans that he'll get the civilians to safety. But Aida is not convinced of his honesty. She needs to work fast to get past the red tape to get her family to safety.

This all leads to the Srebrencia Massacre. 

It starts out bleak and never ceases. Aida starts the film interpreting a meeting between Srebrencia's mayor (Ermin Bravo) and Karremans. The Serbians immediately invade and the Mayor is executed. The numerous refugees at the base sells the desperate situation afoot. Aida's attempts to save her family are frustrated by the aforementioned red tape. Not to mention Mladic and his forces paying a visit. It's sure to drain your emotions thoroughly before the climactic twist. There's some hope for Aida in the end. Some hope.

The best part of the film is the knowledge that Mladic was eventually convicted of war crimes. He's perfectly played by Isakovic as nothing less than detestable. He tries to convince the civilians he wants to help but neither he nor the audience are convinced. Similarly vile is Joka (Emir Hadzihafizbegovic), a Serbian commander who marches in the base to look for undercover Bosnian soldiers. You will hate them completely and thoroughly by the end.

Đuričić is a compelling lead as Aida. We follow her all the way through as she deals with the red tape. Her family time is endearing and her UN job shows off her resourcefulness. She's a good woman doing her best to deal with a cruel world. She'll never lose your attention during the film's 102 minutes. You'll be devastated as she is when the massacre plays out.

The film spares us the sight of blood but its brutality is plain to see. Quo Vadis Aida? is a compelling and claustrophobic tale of terrible modern history. Can you figure out the ending twist by my vague hints? It's ready to see on Hulu, but if you watch it, you might want to find something lighter quicker.