SIFF: Death in Sarajevo

Description

Bosnia and Herzegovina | 2016 | 85 minutes | Danis Tanovic

Academy Award®-winning director Danis Tanovic (No Man’s Land) tells a sprawling, multi-character narrative that travels from the basement to the penthouse of Sarajevo’s luxurious Hotel Europe as the staff prepare for a huge national celebration.

Hotel Europe is a luxury hotel in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Today, it is the commemoration center of the centennial of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination, which led to the First World War. Its close proximity to the historical spot makes the hotel a very busy place, and the staff is going all out to prepare for this VIP multicultural celebration. Omer, the hotel manager, attempts to keep things running smoothly as he deals with a bank manager who threatens to repossess the hotel. Chief receptionist Lamija balances everyone’s needs brilliantly until her mother leads the kitchen and laundry staff on strike. Up in the penthouse, the French EU guest practices his speech. Meanwhile, interviews are taking place on the rooftop with historical experts. Even handsome Gavrilo Princip, a namesake descendant of the assassin, attends. Despite all the excitement surrounding this event, security is lacking and tensions run high. This fast-paced microcosmic model of chaos reveals the lingering wounds and conflicts from top management down to the laundry room. Death in Sarajevo is director Danis Tanovic’s (Academy Award® winner for No Man’s Land) seventh film and the first one shot in his hometown.

Director Biography: In 2001, Danis Tanovic made his mark by winning the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film for No Man’s Land. This launched a career of creating deeply emotional films. His newest, Death in Sarajevo, recently won the Jury Grand Prix at the Berlin International Film Festival.