Welcome to Sarajevo

1997 "To get the story, they’ll risk everything."
6.7| 1h43m| R| en| More Info
Released: 26 November 1997 Released
Producted By: Miramax
Country: United States of America
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

Follow a group of international journalists into the heart of the once cosmopolitan city of Sarajevo—now a danger zone of sniper and mortar attacks where residents still live. While reporting on an American aid worker who’s trying to get children out of the country, a British correspondent decides to take an orphaned girl home to London.

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Reviews

Perry Kate Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
Ensofter Overrated and overhyped
Lucybespro It is a performances centric movie
Matialth Good concept, poorly executed.
rogerdarlington The wars in former Yugoslavia were prolonged and bitter and - need we remind ourselves - located in 'civilised' Europe, so it is surprising that the conflict has resulted in so few films. It's almost as if there is a collective guilt about the weakness of international involvement until the Serbs tried to subjugate Kosovo and NATO finally intervened. Hollywood still shows no interest in this topic - this movie is a largely British effort, although it features two American stars (Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomie)in support roles.The narrative, most of which actually occurred, is set in the Bosnian capital Sarejevo and - like "Under Fire" dealing with Nicaragua - focuses on war as seen through foreign media correspondents. It is based on the book by the British ITN journalist Michael Nicholson entitled "Natasha's Story". The reporter Michael Henderson (played sensitively by little-known Stephen Dillane) finds himself unexpectedly involved emotionally in events to the extent of deciding illegally to bring supposed orphan Emira out of the war-ravaged country and to his own home in England.British director Michael Winterbottom shot the film on location in Sarjevo itself and parts of Croatia and Macedonia and this, plus the semi-documentary style of filming, gives a powerful authenticity to the work. There is no political background or scene-setting: we jump straight into the carnage and are as confused as the Bosnians being shelled and shot at. The political messages come from short but effective news clips of quotes from international figures, showing the powerlessness and incapacity demonstrated by too many of them at the time.
LydiaHollowell This is a movie that will leave the viewer stunned for two reasons: the acting on all levels is superb and the subject matter is heart-breaking. I rented this movie and then bought the video because of Stephen Dillane's performance and the fact that this movie is so beautifully done. It will leave you emotionally exhausted, as if you've lived through the sadness of war, but will also leave you uplifted that this is based on a true story. This is what a good movie is all about: you feel for the characters, you empathize, you're happy for them and realize the terrible dilemmas that war puts human beings in. Not to mention what human beings have to see in war, how lives are destroyed and just how wretched war is. This is a must-see movie. It will also allow viewers to realize what a terrific actor Stephen Dillane is and how all of the actors in this movie interact and play off one another in a very realistic way. If you've only seen Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomei in comedy roles, you will now realize they can do drama as well.
Raissa Skvortsova I saw the movie about 2-3 years ago and I was very impressed and touched. I couldn't help crying all the time. Because it was so realistic... As a Russian I faced myself the pain of the war in Chechnya, for example... I mean the feeling is close to me and I can quite understand it. All the pain which seems so indescribable is "summarized" in the movie. However, what I didn't like was a certain lack of objectiveness. I mean the political moment. In this movie the Serbs are presented as the bad guys, and the Muslims - as the victims. But the true is the opposite. Or at least, both sides were victims of this horrible conflict.
Claudio Carvalho In Sarajevo, the British journalist Michael Henderson (Stephen Dillane) is correspondent of war, who decides to cover the orphans' situation due to the Bosnian War. Through successive matters, he tries to show and sensitize the public opinion about this ignored war. Meanwhile, he gets emotionally involved with Emira (Emira Nusevic), a young Bosnian girl. He decides to take the chance and brings her to the breast of his family in London. Some time later, the girl's mother is found alive and requests the care of her daughter. Michael returns to Sarajevo to convince her to let him adopt Emira. The first time I watched this impressing movie was in 1999 and indeed it was the first film about the Bosnian war that I have seen. The director Michael Winterbottom makes a magnificent work, alternating reality and fiction through images. Based on a true event, he uses real war footages intercalating with his film to show the atrocities of this war, having the focus on the children. Stephen Diallane, Woody Harrelson, Marisa Tomei, Emira Nusevic and the rest of the cast have brilliant performances. There is a very special and cynical scene that I like a lot, when the American journalist Flynn apologizes to a local in the name of the American people for the non-intervention of USA in this dirty war. This is maybe the best line of the great actor Woody Harrelson in this excellent movie. This week I have watched five films about this war and all of them are really excellent and highly recommended. If the reader likes this theme and wants to see different approaches, do not miss 'Harrison's Flowers', 'Vulkovar', 'Pretty Village, Pretty Flame' and 'Shot Through the Heart'. I intend to see again the magnificent 'Savior' and 'No Man's Land' along this week also about this horrible war. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): 'Bem Vindo a Sarajevo' ('Welcome to Sarajevo')