Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020)

Bosnia-Herzegovina's submission for the 93rd Academy Awards is a heart-wrenching story fuelled by a mother's desire to protect her family. Throughout the 101 minutes, viewers are taken on a harrowing journey through crowded UN bases to wartorn towns and cities.

Based on a true story, 'Quo Vadis, Aida?' follows Aida Selmanagić (Jasna Đuričić), a translator for the UN, from a small town known as Srebrenica. When the Serbian army takes over the town, her family is among the thousands of residents forced to leave their homes and seek shelter within the UN base where she works. Despite her family being in imminent danger, Aida must remain calm and collected while Bosnian General Ratko Mladić (Boris Isaković) engages in negotiations to maintain the civilians 'safety'. Will Aida be able to save her family while translating crucial information?

Jasna Đuričić gives a sensational performance in the leading role. Her portrayal of Aida is effortlessly fuelled by a mother's love for her family. Her need to protect her family oozes off the screen and only makes viewers sympathise even more with the character. The supporting cast also gives exceptional performances. Boris Isaković plays General Ratko with a perfect amount of arrogance, he portrays him as the monster he is without being too in your face. Izudin Bajrović, Boris Ler and Dino Bajrović all provide performances that show just how daunting a situation they're in.

Director Jasmila Žbanić delivers such a devastating and brutal film to viewers, all the while keeping them interested and keeping the film moving. As well as directing, Žbanić also serves as producer and writer, providing the cast with a beautifully written script to work from. Christine A Maier's cinematography is utterly captivating, with imagery ranging from tight close-ups to wide shots framing swarms of helpless civilians, shocking viewers and giving them something to sympathise with that isn't Aida's struggle. Frequent handheld shots make viewers feel even more immersed in the gut-wrenching tragedy unfolding in front of them.

'Quo Vadis, Aida?' does an excellent job of showing Aida's struggle as well as the wider problem, Aida's family isn't the only family displaced by the horrors of war. Žbanić also includes scenes that help viewers to realise just how many people had been affected by what was going on at the time. The numerous close-ups of character's faces throughout the film add yet another layer of emotion for viewers to sympathise with, and maybe even relate to. The film also does a great job following Aida's struggle as a mother to keep her family safe, begging on her knees and hiding them in machines in an effort to keep them near to her and away from whatever fate may lie ahead.

The film will appeal to many people as not only does it explore themes of family, but it also explores the idea of war. 'Quo Vadis, Aida?' isn't the first film made about the Srebrenica massacre, films like 'Srebrenica: A Cry from the Grave' and 'Circles' both follow the horrors that occurred during the Bosnian War, which only ended roughly 25 years ago. Overall, 'Quo Vadis, Aida?' is a harrowing tale that depicts the savagery of war and the desperation to keep your family safe.