Welcome to Sarajevo
Welcome to Sarajevo is one of the best and most powerful films I’ve ever seen. It follows the progression of the war and ethnic cleansing during the siege of Sarajevo through the eyes of the foreign press covering the story. Michael Henderson, a British reporter, becomes increasingly involved with the plight of the children and starts covering the story of an orphanage in Sarajevo. He promises on of the orphans that he will help her get out of Bosnia. Interspersed through the story are real news reports documenting the progression of images let out of Bosnia to the wider world, and the reaction of world leaders to those images. Seeing real news footage beside the story being told is harrowing and moving. The acting in this film is impeccable: Steven Dillane is fabulous as the increasingly involved reporter, Woody Harrelson is great as the American foreign correspondent who manages to get Bosnia put as the lead story on American news, whilst the in England it is run second to the Duke and Duchess of York’s separation. Emira Nusevic beautifully plays the young child that inspires the war weary reporter to risk all in an act of compassion. This is not a sweet little story about a reporter who goes soft, but a film about what people will do to each other in extreme situations, and how the human spirit can prevail against almost insurmountable odds. It must be experienced to be believed.
Esther Speight
