Exactly tow decades ago, Jasmila Žbanić burst onto the international stage in spectacular fashion, announcing herself as a major new cinematic voice when her debut feature Grbavica captured the ultimate prize—the Golden Bear—at the 2006 Berlin International Film Festival. The Bosnian filmmaker would follow that up with 2010’s On the Path (Berlinale Competition), 2013’s For Those Who Can Tell No Tales (TIFF – Special Presentation), 2014’s Love Island (Locarno Film Festival) and her in 2020’s Quo Vadis, Aida? (read ★★★★ review) competed for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. She has produced two feature docs, and more recently directed an episode of the series “The Last of Us.” Some of the defining themes in her cinema include the trauma and conflict during the war, women’s lives under political violence and notions of at the center moral responsibility and accountability. Here is everything we know so far for … Jasmila Žbanić‘s Quo Vadis, Aida? – The Missing Part.
The critical success (Best Film, Best Director and Best Actress (Jasna Đuričić) at the European Film Awards) of Quo Vadis, Aida? surely had an impact on conceiving a longer text with Žbanić probably already contemplating a longer look back. We first heard about the project when it received coin via the Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg fund back in September of 2023. Following the addition of several other funds including Eurimages co-production coin back in December of last year, production began this past April in Serbia.
In the immediate aftermath of the fall of Srebrenica in 1995. Aida, receiving word that her sons – who were taken by Serbian forces — may be alive and held in a camp, launches a desperate search through a refugee center crowded with thousands of displaced women. As hope collides with silence, the women come to the realization that no outside help is coming unless they help themselves. Led by Aida, they confront the injustice and deceptions of a political system built on backroom deals with war criminals.
Jasna Đuričić returns, and is supported by Simon McBurney, Liam Cunningham, Arieh Worthalter and Dmitrij Schaad.
Nena Jankovic is listed as the producer on the project. Christine A. Maier returns as the cinematographer.
We would have loved to have seen this in Venice, but the team might be aiming for Cannes or the Lido next year. Indie Sales are handling sales.
