Srbenka
Croatia 2018
Directed by Nebojša Slijepčević, documentary, 72 min, eng subtitles, 12+
Written by Nebojša Slijepčević
With Tatjana Dragičević, Nina Batinić, Lucia Filićić, Jana Mileusnić
In the winter of 1991, 12-year-old Aleksandra Zec was lynched and killed together with her family. Her body was dumped in a landfill site in Zagreb. Aleksandra was Serbian and became one of the innocent victims of the Serbo-Croat war, during which Croatia was defending itself against the aggression of its neighbour. A generation later, a renowned theatre director Oliver Frljić is working on a play about this controversial case, the infamous “Zec affair”. Rehearsals become collective psychotherapy, and the 12-year-old actress Nina feels as if the war has never ended, as the borders between reality and fiction fade away – until now, Nina has been hiding her Serbian origins from her Croatian classmates.
An innovative, gripping documentary, Srbenka is a powerful take on topical identity issues and the everlasting struggle they trigger, bringing strong emotions to life and allowing thorough reflection.
Awards
Visions du Réel 2018 (Prix Buyens-Chagoll VdR2018)
Cannes 2018 (Doc Alliance Selection Award)
Sarajevo lFF 2018 (Best Documentary)