Halima’s Path – Special Film Screening

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of the atrocities in Srebrenica as a result of the Bosnian conflict, Bradford UNESCO City of Film will host a special screening of the multi award-winning film Halima’s Path at the National Media Museum in Bradford.

Saturday 12 September 2015 – 14.15 – Picture House at National Media Museum [cert 15]

Alma Prica_as Halima
Alma Prica as Halima

Halima’s Path tells the tragic but inspiring story of a grieving, but strong-willed Muslim woman Halima who tries, without success, to find the remains of her son who was killed in the Bosnian War and buried in one of the many mass graves. She realizes that she must track down her estranged niece, who we find carries a mysterious connection to him. After finding her, Halima discovers a horrifying fact from her worst nightmares. With this discovery, the spiral of tragic events from the past would continue in the present, disrupting once again the troubled lives of the characters.

The screenplay was inspired by a real-life story of Zahida and Muharem Fazlic from a village near Prijedor in Western Bosnia whose adopted son Emir was executed in 1992. It took them 20 years to find their son’s biological mother who kept refusing to give her blood for the DNA identification.

David Wilson, Director of Bradford UNESCO City of Film said; ‘It is really important for Bradford as a UNESCO City of Film to support this type of screening of a film which is so powerful and moving and has such relevance even twenty years after the conflict in Bosnia. The film has won numerous awards and prizes across the world including the top award at Raindance in London and the Audience Award at the Chichester Film Festival and this screening gives a rare chance for people from across the Yorkshire region to experience the film.’

With the support of Bradford City of Film the screening has been organised by Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw and the Bradfordian broadcaster, Philip Bergson, who are both volunteers with the UK charity, Remembering Srebrenica, which raises awareness of the Srebrenica genocide.

Cllr Ross-Shaw said, “Getting Halima’s Path shown at the Media Museum is a fantastic opportunity to raise awareness of the conflict in Bosnia and particularly the genocide in Srebrenica, which saw over 8,000 Muslim men and boys killed 20 years ago.”

Film critic and BBC broadcaster Phillip Bergson will introduce the film at the special screening in Bradford. Mr Bergson said; “The film won over 30 prizes at international festivals from juries and critics, but also took several Audience Awards which shows how engaging and entertaining it is, with dramatic surprises and some humour as it reminds us of this Balkan tragedy”

Arsen A Ostojic_director
Arsen A Ostojic – Director

Halima’s Path is directed by Arsen Anton Ostojic who received his BA in film directing from the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Zagreb, Croatia and his MFA in filmmaking from New York University. He made three multiple-award winning feature films, all three being official candidates for Oscar (“A Wonderful Night in Split” in 2004, awarded 24 awards; “No One’s Son” in 2008, awarded 16 awards; and «Halima’s Path» in 2012, awarded 31 awards).

For ticket information please see Picture House at the National Media Museum here