Danis Tanovic – Death in Sarajevo #BalkanFlorenceExpress

PODCAST | Carolina Mancini interviews Danis Tanovic, director of the film Death in Sarajevo.

One year after Death in Sarajevo premiere at Berlinale, where it won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize and the FIPRESCI prize, Fred catches up once again with director Danis Tanovic during Balkan Florence Express, where he took part to the round table Big Cinema of New Europe, talking about his film, its life in film festivals, and the difficulties of European distribution

In Death in Sarajevo, Tanovic gathers together an imaginary group of VIPs in the famous Sarajevo’s Hotel Europe, set in the Holiday Inn, during the centennial of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination. The hotel and its guests aim to represent a satirical metaphor of the circles of hell, which Bosnia finds itself in the midst of. And for the first time, the film talks publicly about some “taboo” subject that have always only been discussed privately.

Death in Sarajevo: Sarajevo’s Hotel Europe is bustling in preparation for tonight’s European Union gala for the centennial of Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination. But the disgruntled staff plans to strike because they haven’t been paid for two months. If this prestigious political dinner fails, the already mortgaged hotel will be shut down by the bank. Desperate to stop the strike, hotel manager Omer must turn to tough guy Enzo, who runs the cellar strip club. Things get tricky for head receptionist Lamija when her mother Hatidza is elected strike leader. While the French VIP guest rehearses his keynote speech in his room, TV journalist Vedrana conducts interviews on the roof for a centennial special. Among her guests is Gavrilo Princip, the namesake descendant of the Archduke’s assassin. Firm political stances quickly lead to age-old disputes. From the roof to the cellar, via the reception, laundry room and kitchen, increasing tensions turn the Hotel Europe into an ideological pressure cooker.