In
an inspiring example of artistic resiliency, the Sarajevo Symphony Orchestra
maintained their public performance schedule throughout the Bosnian War. Of course, getting to and from their concerts
was often the most difficult part of the show, particularly for those traveling
through “Snipers’ Alley.” The day-to-day
life-and-death experience of pedestrians during the Siege of Sarajevo is
recreated in Šejla Kamerić’s 1395 Days
with Red,
which
screens this Thursday as part of Disappearing Act V.
Originally
conceived in collaboration with Albanian artist Anri Sala, the 1395 Days project resulted in two like titled
films. This is Kamerić’s, which is
somewhat longer and features a little art-house star power. Maribel Verdu, the wicked stepmother of Blancanieves, appears as a woman trying
to get from point A to point B. She seems
to be walking through the peaceful (but still war-scarred) Bosnia of today, but
she and those around her act as they did during the Siege. That means they avoid wearing bright colors
and run for all their worth at each intersection. Her long walk is accompanied by the Sarajevo
Orchestra rehearsing Tchaikovsky’s Symphony
No. 6, Pathétique.
Essentially,
Kamerić’s 1395 Days (the length of
the Siege) is experimental, non-narrative filmmaking, but it represents the
most accessible tip of the genre. There
is a real point to the film, but it is not didactic or obtuse. Viewers can easily grasp what it has to say
about the lingering post-traumatic stress of the Siege as well as the healing
power of music. Indeed, the city’s
Orchestra and the choice of the stirring but not overplayed Tchaikovsky
symphony are quite powerful.
Likewise,
Kamerić and cinematographer Patrick Ghiringhelli (ironically shooting with Red
digital) create some striking visuals, well capturing the damage that continues
to mar Sarajevo. Verdu also gives
another silent but potent performance as the woman. We can see her body tense
whenever she passes an intimidating looking man on the street, while her eyes
speak volumes about the resolve required simply to cross a street during the
siege.
However,
1395 might have benefited from a mild
injection of narrative, such as establishing where she is coming from. Is it from work? If so, we can double her trek for a full day
and then multiple by the 1,395 days, backing out weekends and days the fighting
was too intense to leave home, thereby approximating the cumulative terror of
the Siege.
