film

What happens when the guns fall silent? Through the lives of four young people in Bosnia Herzegovina, IN THE SHADOW OF WAR tells the hidden story of a generation traumatised by a conflict fought by their parents but for which they continue to pay the price.

Long synopsis:

IN THE SHADOW OF WAR will take you on a cinematic journey through the hopes, dreams and fears of a new generation who find themselves living with the ongoing effects of a war that ended before most of them were even born. The film captures the energetic spirit of Bosnia and Herzegovina but also bears witness to the legacy of a brutal conflict.

The film tells four very different stories of trauma, survival and, on occasion, triumph over adversity. Ante, Ilija, Magdalena and Elvis are inspirational young people whose powerful and emotional lives illustrate the continuing effects of war. These four teenagers, like thousands of other children born at the end of the war in Bosnia, have grown up in orphanages or live with parents suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The film follows them grappling with being alone, coming to terms with how they were conceived or their parents role in the war, attempting to rebuild broken relationships and healing mental and physical scars.

We see the reunion of Ante and his war criminal father in a maximum security prison in northern Sweden. We follow Magdalena as she finds the strength to leave her abusive father. We witness an encounter between Ilija and his mother, who 20 years ago abandoned him. We feel the turmoil of Elvis as he struggles to deal with the death of both his parents and now finds himself abandoned by the state.

Outreach Work Supported

Early partnership work and test screenings with the target audience.