Before the war, the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
was part of one of the most ethnically
and religiously diverse countries in Europe.
Muslims, Serbs and Croats lived together in harmony.
Bosnia and Herzegovina 1992.
Go get ready.
Get out of here.
Come to Mommy.
Go, go, go.
Okay.
It's too much!
You look gorgeous! Great! Come here.
- What are you doing? - Just this. A bit like this.
Oh, come on!
- Okay, show me "sexy." - What?
What time is it?
And this. Don't forget this.
Thanks for helping me with him.
That's what I came back here for.
I'm so excited for you.
Do you remember how to get there?
No, no. Keep it.
Bye.
Have fun.
I love you.
You are worth the wait.
Stop.
I have something for you.
Thank you. Thank you, thank you.
And this song is for lovers.
Have them make more space outside.
Secure the area. We need more blood. Okay?
Everything will be all right.
IN THE LAND OF BLOOD AND HONEY.
Four Months Later.
Ajla. Wake up.
Is that Azra?
I can't see.
Where are they taking the men?
- Where's your passport? - I don't know.
- Where's your passport? - I don't know!
Open the door!
Get your coats and get out.
Out!
Let's go!
All the men, up!
Go.
Let's go!
Come on!
Let's go!
Come on, come on!
Come. To the bus.
Let's go, let's go.
To the bus.
Let's go, let's go, let's go!
Come on.
To the bus.
Where are you taking her?
Don't, don't. Hey, let's go.
Don't, don't.
Let's go!
Hurry UP! Hurry UP! Hurry UP!
Hurry up, grandma.
Hey!
Tell me.
Do you know how a Shepherd counts sheep?
No. How?
One, two, three, mwah, five, six.
Left!
Give me your purse.
Give me that coat.
Which of you can cook?
Not a shit cook, a real cook.
I'm a doctor.
I can sew. Anything you need.
Coats. Curtains. I can make something for the beds. I can...
Can you fuck?
No!
SFR JUGOSLAVIJA
What is all this now, eh?
Is everybody having fun?
Let me do this one.
Are you hiding something from me?
This one's done.
Hurry up! All this is taking too long.
Are you okay?
I'm in constant fear that they will come for us.
Everything's going to be all right. You'll see.
They cut our electricity.
They cut our water.
How can you say everything will be all right?
I don't even know if my sister is alive.
I know.
What am I going to do with him?
I have to get out of here.
I have to run away with him.
Maybe on a humanitarian aid convoy.
They're attacking humanitarian aid convoys as well.
We have to stay calm.
Why don't you get some sleep and let me play with the little one.
You think we are too harsh?
I understand you.
You are young. You don't care about the past.
We Serbs fought the Turks for 500 years
and stopped them from conquering Europe.
In 1914, we stood against the Austro-Hungarian Empire,
and we brought it down.
We kicked Hitler's ass, and we won.
One million Serbs were killed in World War ll.
This land is soaked with Serbian blood.
And now they want us to live here under Muslim rule?
In a Muslim state?
I recognize people.
Sometimes I get into a house and I recognize their faces.
They're just pretending to be good neighbors, Danijel.
Under Tito, they hid their treacherous faces,
waiting for the opportunity to destroy Yugoslavia and attack us.
I am a Serb patriot. You don't have to question that.
Are you?
Then why are you questioning our methods?
You think the rest of the world will ignore all this? I don't.
The UN has already sent peacekeepers to Croatia.
They will not turn their backs on all of this.
Of course they see everything, but they will not attack us.
They won't do anything.
And they know we are the right partners for negotiations.
They need us. They will not attack.
Bolster your men. And finish cleansing this area.
You don't want your men to doubt you.
And you, Father?
I had my doubts.
I have to go now.
Do strong work, Danijel.
Make me a proud father.
No. No!
Not again, you swine! No!
Oh, please!
No! Please! No!
Enter.
Why did you sit there?
Stand up.
Ajla.
Remember how things were when it was just you and me
in the club,
before this madness.
Remember.
I couldn't find you anywhere.
People are often not what they seem to be.
Do you want to know my secret?
I'm trying to have a conversation with you here.
Do you want to know my secret, Ajla?
Yes.
I don't like taking part in this war.
To kill people I've gone to school with.
I find this war very difficult to stomach.
But my father, Nebojsa Vukojevich,
General Vukojevich,
thinks differently.
I told my men that they are not allowed to touch you,
that you are my property.
Go.
Come on, get out!
People who leave their homes are at risk of being shot.
Red Cross and UN relief convoys,
even women and children looking for food,
are being targeted.
The images of this attack galvanized international opinion against the Serbs.
But Western governments don't want to intervene in the conflict.
The American Secretary of State says, "We don't have a dog in that fight. ".
Across Bosnia, nearly 6,000 people have been killed to date.
More coffee over here.
A million have been forced from their homes,
creating Europe's biggest refugee crisis in close to 50 years.
The causes of conflict lie in the breakup,
after 40 years of Communist rule,
of old Yugoslavia.
Come in, Ajla. Don't be afraid.
Would you like a drink?
No, sir.
"Sir", -P.
Danijel.
I had a clear shot today.
One of your Muslim friends was in my scope.
And I'm thinking about you,
wondering,
"Would she thank me if I spared this poor man's life?"
And then it hit me,
"How can people kill so easily?"
And then I wondered,
"Would she kill me if she could?"
"Would Ajla kill Danijel?"
Did you kill him?
I didn't.
Is everything okay with you?
Everything is fine.
Hey!
We got a report from headquarters.
The front line is stable. Muslims are running all over the place.
You have to be more careful of who you shoot at.
UNPROFOR is increasing their presence.
They can see everything now. The whole world is watching.
So now what?
Radovan and politicians will be kissing international TV's ass?
They will try to make it look like nothing's happening. Why?
The UN and UNPROFOR are doing nothing. They're just standing on the other side.
We won already.
I'm just telling you people, watch yourselves.
Enter.
Good evening, Ajla.
Thank you for dinner.
For cleaning up after me.
It's nothing.
It's not nothing.
You have a beautiful smile.
Thank you.
I never asked you,
who were you before the war? What did you do?
I wanted to be a painter.
I was a painter, I suppose.
I have a painting hanging at the Sarajevo Municipal Gallery.
In the Gallery? Really?
Mmm.
But that doesn't really matter now, does it?
And what did you paint?
People or, what do you call it,
Still life?
People.
Usually my sister.
And did you always want to be a policeman?
Some of us don't have a choice.
This was always my family tradition.
Captain?
Did you find it?
Yes. Yes, that's the one. Copy it.
Watch and learn.
Yes, sir.
Watch where you're going.
Come on, clean it up.
Keep practicing.
That's it, that's it.
I'm going.
Tomorrow, after lunch, I'll go to the back of the building.
In the bathroom, above the radiator, there is a window.
Crawl through it.
I'll wait for you on the other side.
I will not stop you.
Tomorrow?
Get out of the city as soon as you can.
Find a shelter. And do not come out.
If you have to, do it at night.
We can't see that well at night
and, by then, my soldiers are drunk.
This will not end soon.
Things will only get worse.
You should know.
Are we so terrible that we all should be exterminated?
You're not.
I'm sorry.
It's all...
It's politics, not murder.
All of this is complicated.
The politics of all this are very complicated.
It is murder,
for political gain.
But still murder.
All the more reason for you to leave tomorrow.
The sooner the better.
I can't protect you forever.
No matter how much I'd want to.
Get some coffee.
Thank you, captain.
I pray I never see my husband again,
so he doesn't find out
what they've done to me.
I want to die.
Try to get some rest.
Got ya.
Careful!
Here's the backpack.
You sure you want to do this?
Yeah, I'm sure.
I'm sick of doing nothing, and everybody's out of medication.
Bye. See you later.
Don't worry.
Get out! Come on!
Get the fuck out, everyone! Hurry up!
Keep going!
Get out! Come on!
Sign it!
Come on, come on!
- Step out! - My child is still in the apartment.
Come on, come on!
Take your things and sign these papers.
We are returning tomorrow to evacuate you.
Thank you.
Will this be temporary, or will you have ownership indefinitely?
I won't sign it.
I have nowhere to go.
I have lived here for 30 year...
Sign it.
Get out! Come on!
Get out, everyone!
Would you like me to pour it for you, sir?
Yes.
Listen to me, Ajla.
I have been transferred to Sarajevo.
I have to leave immediately.
I want to remind you of that window.
The best time to escape is one hour after dinner.
By then, everyone is drunk.
Now finish with my coffee,
and go.
She did everything she could.
She couldn't keep him quiet.
She did everything she could.
Oh, please forgive me.
Where is my son?
Headquarters-Sarajevo.
Hello.
Welcome. Happy to see you.
Very good.
Two klicks to the left.
Let's go home, kids!
My girls are done!
Go home and get some rest.
What's up?
Are you still alive, motherfuckers?
Any news?
This is from Santa Claus.
There's nothing new. Look!
There's nothing new!
Hey, dicks!
Come on, fucking pussies!
That's enough. Don't fuck around.
Look at that.
Darko.
Where did you go?
My wife is pregnant.
Three months.
Congratulations, my brother.
That's the best news in days.
Captain,
we're gonna finish this war before the little man is born, huh?
It's a little boy?
It has to be.
I would love a little girl too much.
She would drive me crazy. She would make my head spin.
A little girl.
We are doing this for them, huh?
So they don't have to go to war,
when they grow up.
Yes. It's for them.
J' Jingle bells, Jingle bells.
J' Jingle all the night J'.
Ho, ho, ho!
Come on!
Merry Christmas.
Hey. I know this place.
I came here with my mother once.
Fuck your mother.
Watch your language, or I'll fuck you up. Do you hear me?
What's wrong with you?
It was a joke.
Save your jokes for someone else What's wrong with you?
Fuck off. Suck my dick.
Aleksandar, look! Fuck you, too.
Holy warrior.
I've never been to a museum.
Look at all these faces here.
Hey, I found this one.
Take it over there.
Throw the sandbag over here.
Bring it here. I'll help you.
Who's been hit?
It's all right. Hey, you all right, old man?
Are you okay? Can you hear me?
It's okay, it's okay. You're alive.
Everything's gonna be all right. Can you hear me?
You'll be fine. You'll be fine.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
today issued in half of towns...
Spring 1993
being pounded by Serb forces.
The Bosnians say UN arms embargo...
Come in.
Favors the Serb's side because it already has all the weapon it needs.
A government spokesperson says Bosnian patriots are fighting
to defend their territory,
but find themselves surrounded and outgunned.
Still, they fight on.
Hey, it's all right.
It's me. Hana.
Esma.
Esma...
You, in the back.
You, you.
You.
Come on, hurry up.
Come on, get out of the truck!
Come out with your hands in the air and surrender!
It's over!
You don't want to kill your own people!
It's over!
Come out!
Come on! Hurry up!
Come on, come on!
Get up! Get your things! Come on!
I can't any more.
I just can't.
You know that little window in the bathroom?
I know.
When they drink after dinner, the guard is usually a little late.
I think there is a good chance the men will be distracted tonight.
And why are you telling me this?
Because if I succeed tonight,
you should know how.
Get up! Come on. Come, come.
Look at them.
Mitar.
Mitar!
Stay behind. I'll handle it.
And don't drink too much. I need you sober tomorrow.
Okay, let's go.
Give it to me.
Don't shoot! Don't shoot! Don't shoot!
What's your name?
Ajla.
What?
Ajla.
Tarik.
Are you okay?
She's alive?
Yeah.
You know where she is?
Yeah, I do. She's not far, about two hours away.
Hey, slow down.
I can't, I'm too excited.
Slow down or they'll see us and kill us. Slow down.
It's down here. Watch your head.
You know, when my mom used to sew,
she wouldn't stop for two days.
Lejla.
Come here.
Where is Adi?
They killed Adi.
They didn't. They didn't. They didn't.
They didn't.
Dinner! Dinner!
Real food.
Let's see what we got.
It's good, it's good.
Here.
Oh, look at it.
Meatballs.
Anyone have peanut butter?
Here it is. I brought it for you.
Here, here.
Look what we got. Black pepper.
I would kill a man for small glass of juice.
Yeah. Hey, hey.
Cevapi.
Or sopska salad.
And cola. Who misses cola?
Steak. Big steak.
Medium rare.
It can be rare.
Or burnt. Or whatever, just a steak.
Do you know when the plane with aid arrived?
Early this morning. And do you know where it was from?
Italy.
Forty minutes away.
No, less.
Peace. Shopping. Dancing.
Yes.
Some tourists sitting in the sun, worrying about getting an even tan.
Everything as it used to be.
You know, it left empty.
It just stopped to drop off supplies and it left empty.
They took no one.
- Not even children? - No.
Lejla, I saw your painting today in Danijel Vukojevich's office.
My picture? Yeah.
What is my picture doing in Danijel Vukojevich's office?
Trust me.
I was peering in with the binoculars and thought you were standing in the room.
They're all disgusting.
Come on, hold on.
They're not all the same.
What do you mean?
I can't hate all Serbs.
My mother is a Serb.
Well, I didn't mean Serbs. I meant Chetnik Serbs.
There is a difference.
We have to do something.
Think again.
Anyone have any ideas?
If we get you inside, you can help.
Guys, we're surrounded.
Please be careful.
It's up to us to do it. No one will help us.
They have surrounded us. We have to do something.
We need some information.
I don't know.
Will you help us?
I can try.
We have to figure out how to...
Are you sure?
Of course I want to help.
How will you contact us?
Think about it.
- Where should I be? - At the water point.
We need...
Please watch yourself. Be smart.
Ajla, don't worry.
Be careful.
I'm always careful.
Be cautious.
Yes, I will.
Come on, Bosnian.
Tell me a joke.
No, I don't know any. Yes, you do.
They caught him in the convoy.
He said he's got information on hideouts and sniper points.
You're a good guy.
Let me talk to him.
First and last name.
Tarik Paho.
What is your occupation?
What was your occupation before the war?
I was an assistant Baker.
Erlagich.
You had the best rolls in town.
Sir.
I can be of great help to you.
I worked as a spy for them.
And now you're gonna spy for us?
I know where they moved the army of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
If you give me a map, I will show you.
Okay. Might as well try.
He's not going anywhere.
That's a nice painting.
Looks like a friend of mine.
And I know her sister.
She's the one who painted it.
Okay.
Show me.
Here. Here, they have been deployed.
Aco, bring me that painter. I want to have my portrait done.
Why are you fucking with us?
- Where is she? - I don't know.
That's her. Right there.
I was so happy to see you alive.
Last time I saw you, I couldn't get you to leave.
Was I wrong to assume you wanted to be with me?
No.
Don't be afraid of me.
Good morning, Ajla.
And what do your men think of you bringing a Muslim breakfast?
You worry about me.
Am I your prisoner?
You're a prisoner only if you don't want to be here.
You are my official painter now.
- Am I? - Yes, you are.
Then I have nothing to fear.
A pear.
Probably the last pear in all of Bosnia.
Enjoy it.
The room at the far end. Do you know where to go?
Yes, sir.
Don't.
You look like a pirate.
Winter 1994.
Just yesterday these Muslims killed 47 people. Civilians.
Those motherfuckers will pay for this.
I swear.
This is going to be the last winter of the war.
We now control more than 80% of the territory.
By springtime, we will finish our work,
and there will be peace in Bosnia.
Danijel is a good boy.
He grew up into a real man. Strong.
His men love him.
Just“.
He's been keeping a girl for too long.
A Muslim girl.
I don't know, maybe it's not true. People like to talk...
They say he doesn't let anyone near her.
I'll gather the men.
Wine.
Is it your birthday?
No.
Is it yours?
No.
When is your birthday?
End of November.
Yours?
May 11th.
I missed it, then.
We now control more than 80% of the territory.
I'm not sure how I'm supposed to feel about that.
I'm sorry.
You were at the camp today.
How do you know?
I heard your men talking in the courtyard.
What is it like there?
Is it the way I imagine it?
It's worse.
Camps are the worst part of war.
Nobody can deny that.
Why aren't you eating?
Come on, eat.
Look how skinny you are.
What's wrong?
What is going on, Ajla?
Sometimes I feel so much guilt for being here with you.
Come on. It really doesn't matter.
It would make no difference if you were out there with them.
But I don't have to sleep with their murderer.
You think your people don't kill, huh?
You think you're better? Innocent?
You know nothing about my war.
Nothing.
Just so you know, you started the war.
And I'm the monster now?
I didn't mean it.
Then what did you mean?
You are afraid of me now.
Let's dance.
Excuse me?
Let's dance.
You're crazy.
Am I?
You're there lying alone and I'm here dancing.
Who's the crazy one, then?
Get dressed.
Did you paint this?
Yes.
Paint my portrait.
Name?
Ajla.
Surname?
Ekmecic.
Age?
28.
Are you married?
No.
You have gentle hands.
Lady's hands.
My mother's hands were rough and cracked.
Always black from the earth she had to work,
so that Muslim ladies could wear silk dresses.
She had to feed seven children.
She was in the field that morning when they came.
August '44.
With her three older sons,
and my sister, Milica,
four years old.
I was the youngest.
My grandmother had taken me and two of my brothers
to the side of the Mountain to look after the cows.
Thirteenth Handzar Division,
full of Turks and Ustashas,
was passing by.
They found a woman with children in the field,
and they killed them all.
They slaughtered them.
And left them to rot.
Half of my village was killed that day.
Your hands are white.
My grandfather was a Partisan.
I was raised to know no difference between Serbs, Croats and Muslims.
Yeah.
Some of you were.
Clear your desk.
You and your driving.
Cold, huh? Mmm-hmm.
It's an old truck, captain.
We need a new one. A better one.
Yeah, it could be a Red Cross truck so no one shoots at us.
An ambulance? Stop fucking around.
Captain?
You need to sign this. What is it?
- Do you have a pen? - Wait.
Come on.
Here it is. Give it to me.
Thank you.
Hey, boss.
Open the door!
Open the door now!
You.
What did you do? What did you do?
You brought me here!
What did you do?
You did this!
What did I do?
Your father did... Liar!
What did you do?
You're lying, you bitch! You're lying!
Your father!
He let him in! No, he didn't!
You're lying, you bitch! You're lying!
How was she?
Good.
What do you see in our future, Petar?
See these buildings there?
Yeah.
We'll wait for the fire to go out, and then we'll clear it.
Start afresh. Maybe we could...
Get out.
Knock before you enter the room of a commanding officer.
Do you hear me?
Your mother would turn in her grave if she knew what you're doing.
You think it's all right
to be with a Muslim whore?
Do you think it's all right?
Danijel.
Son, get rid of her.
That's not for you.
Trust me.
That's bad blood.
Danijel.
We must get rid of them. Do you hear me?
Get rid of her, son.
Do you hear me?
Let me deal with this on my own.
On my own.
Don't!
Nebojsa.
My friend!
We are the same. We're all Bosnians!
Nebojsa, I know you!
I should be able to trust you.
Did I make a mistake?
No.
I'm afraid I did.
Are you my enemy?
No.
Am I your enemy?
No.
Why weren't you born a Serb?
In other news...
Summer 1995
at the United Nations today, the U.S. Ambassador, Madeleine Albright
presented evidence of mass graves near the Bosnian town of Srebrenica.
Albright says the satellite photos support allegations that the Serb forces,
who captured the area last month,
systematically executed the Muslim men and boys who came into their custody.
The Red Cross claims at least 7,000 men from Srebrenica
are missing and feared dead.
Three men who escaped from the Bosnian town were reported to have...
Thank you.
I thought you left.
Put this on.
You look beautiful.
Where is everyone?
I gave them a night off.
Beautiful, huh?
I love his brushstrokes.
So bold.
I always wanted to touch it.
So do it.
I can't.
There's no one here. We're alone, just you and I.
It's more about the empty space.
The "empty space"?
Mmm-hmm.
It's the choice not to do something there.
Look! I found one I like.
No, really. I like this one.
The Story of Empty Space.
Very funny.
I have to go to the front line again tomorrow.
Do you?
When are you coming back?
I'm not sure.
But by Wednesday night, I'll get in touch with you.
H ow?
I will order my cook to punish you.
If you get no dinner on Wednesday night,
that means I'm safe.
Then I'll be happy to starve that night.
Why Wednesday?
On Wednesday, we meet in the church across from the museum.
Whoever makes it there is safe.
They're not bombing churches?
They're not bombing churches, which works in our favor.
So don't worry.
Stay here.
Darko.
Your father is asking for you.
Did something happen?
I don't know. He called an urgent meeting for all senior officers.
You go. I'll follow.
I have to go.
What's happening? Go home on your own.
Just follow the road up the hill.
- Will you be all right? - Yes.
Here it is, my friends.
NATO has already started bombing our positions.
That fucking Clinton
is trying to save his political ass at home in Washington.
Ljubo, give it to me. Here.
Just read this.
"Intervening to put an end to ethnic cleansing"
"and mass atrocities."
Apparently they need to save face,
make some noise,
and throw their idea of justice at
a country they know nothing about. That's it.
We expect that our position, our area,
will be hit at any time.
But it doesn't matter.
Six hundred years after the Battle of Kosovo,
here we are again.
On the Eve of the Kosovo battle, King Lazar
chose the heavenly kingdom over the earthly one.
And tonight, my brothers, we have the same choice before us.
We will not negotiate.
We will not be humiliated.
That's right.
They're attacking us.
And, once again,
we Serbs will be unbreakable.
- To Serbs. - To Serbs!
- To freedom! - To freedom!
Left, left! Go left!
Let's go down there!
Aco!
That piece of shit!
Go, go!
Go, 90, go! Go!
Hey!
Hey, Darko.
Darko.
- It's okay, it's okay. - I got it, I got it.
Watch out. Watch yourselves.
Come on, hurry up.
It's me, we are at the church.
No dinner tonight for the painter, okay?
Understand?
Are you surprised to see me alive, you Turkish pig!
Why are you here?
To be with you.
Where did you go that night?
Were you with your Muslim friends? Did you tell them I was in the church?
I saw your sister.
I'm sorry.
Hey!
Stop!
I said stop!
Raise your hands up.
Stop!
Put your hands up.
My name is Danijel Vukojevich
I am a war criminal.
My name is Danijel Vukojevich
I am a war criminal.
For three and a half years, the international community failed
to decisively intervene and stop the war in Bosnia.
The siege of Sarajevo was the longest in modern history.
Across the country, 1 in every 2 Bosnians was forced to flee their homes.
During the war, as many as fifty thousand Bosnian
women were raped,
leading to the first conviction for sexual violence,
on its own, as a crime against humanity.
The war in Bosnia was the deadliest conflict in Europe since World War ll.
Since 1995, an uneasy peace has prevailed in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Still deep divisions remain, and the struggle
for reconciliation continues.