Children of Sarajevo

Oppressive movie about 23-year-old Muslim woman Rahima and her 14-year-old brother Nedim. They struggle to survive in strife-torn Sarajevo, after losing their parents in the Bosnian war. Bosnian entry for the 2013 Oscars.

Rahima (23) and Nedim (14) have been left orphans as a result of the Bosnian war. They live in Sarajevo, a city in transition, as part of a divided society that has gone morally astray. Rahima has to make a living by working long hours in the kitchen of a restaurant, while she attempts to prevent her teenage brother from going off the track. Things become even more complicated when Nedim smashes up an expensive telephone in a fight with the son of a local politician. Following this incident, Rahima gradually discovers that her brother is leading a double life. While the small family threatens to fall apart once again, Rahima draws hope from her faith. Yet in the post-war society with politicians and criminals lining their pockets and ordinary people slowly slipping into poverty, ‘safe havens’ are a remote prospect.

The movie Snow, directed by Aida Begic, was screened at the 2009 Movies that Matter Festival.