Belvedere

Poignant film about survivors of the genocide in Srebrenica. Adnan, a young accordion player who lives in the Belvedere refugee camp, is fed up with his family’s gloomy existence and auditions for the ‘Big Brother’ television show.

Adnan’s mother Ruvedja is one of the many mourning inhabitants of Belvedere. Fifteen years ago, during the ethnic cleansing operations, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, she lost not only her husband and son, but also her brother-in-law, sister-in-law and nephews. While Ruvedja and the other survivors hope to find the remains of their family members, Adnan has a go at eternal glory in the Big Brother house. The contrast between these two worlds, that director Ahmed Imamovic alternatively features in black-and-white and colour footage, is striking.

Previously, Imamovic directed the highly acclaimed controversial film Go West and wrote the scenario for Gori Vatra, which was screened at the 2004 Amnesty International Film Festival. Belvedere is the Oscar entry for Bosnia and Herzegovina.