Snijeg (2008) Reviews

• Wonderful and powerful film

  crimson_sakura2008-10-04

  Wonderfully acted, beautifully filmed, and well written story. Very real depiction of village life in Bosnia, and the impacts of war that these people experienced only a short while ago. This film was very touching and didn't need to rely on huge action scenes - even in its simplest moments it was very powerful. The symbolism is also very interesting(the young boy's hair, the snow) and may take some contemplating to understand, but overall this was film wasn't trying to be complex or confusing like some films on this subject can be. The characters are wonderful and it was very touching to see their personal struggles with their loss, and their strength in carrying on with life. All actors were wonderful, especially the the main actress who played Alma. I hope to see more from this director. Highly recommended!

• Touchy subject handled almost perfect!

  vdg2008-09-30

  I have never heard of the director or the actors who played in this movie, but they managed to produce one of the most memorable movies about the consequences of the Bosnian war. The VIFF screening of this movie had its moments when some people left the theater, but the overall reaction was one of silence - silence for the ones that were victims of that war. If you have the chance to see this movie, go with an open mind and you'll be reward it, as the film would manage to stir a lot of questions about the war in general, and about the Bosnian war in special: why did it happen? ohhhh, WHY?

• No money in selling Chutney

  johno-212009-01-11

  I recently saw this at the 2009 Palm Springs International Film Festival. Writer/director Aida Bergic sets this story of survivors of the Bosnian war of the 1990's in a small rural village of present day and the few remaining villagers still there who are trying to eek out a living canning fruit and vegetables and making rugs to sell to anyone who may come here way. Onlt about a dozen or so villagers remain who are mostly women and children except for one old man who is the village elder. An aggressive developer wants to come in and buy their land and they are faced with selling or staying. This a good small film with some wonderful performances and a subdued but powerful script. Lot's of imagery here as this film examines Bosnia's past and the effects of the war that are still reverberating today. I would give this a 7.0 out of 10.

• Psychological study in aftermaths of Balkan war

  markedasread2009-10-26

  Debutante Aida Begic opens a tale about Eastern Bosnia in 1997. A sparsely, seemingly deserted village in the aftermaths of the Balkan war. But wait, there are six women, a grandfather (acting imam), a few girls and one boy left alive. Oblivious of the fates of beloved ones, life in the small village continues as usual. At least until one day the two sharp-minded businessmen arrives on a quest to buy land in the war-torn Bosnia, naturally also in the village of pic's assembly. Moral dilemmas including family values and definition of true freedom comes to surface and force the group of women to form divided camps. Snijeg interposes – by all means – an uncomfortable feeling and pathos for the causalities of war, but also the ones outliving it. Underlying aspects of pic are not beautiful, but it manages to radiate a poetic feeling of how life can go on when it has to. The women of the film are confronted with change, for better or worse. They have lost a lot of things, but what they do have left is their freedom and despite their despair what they need to realize is what they want is all they've got. All my regards to Aida Begic for portraying this tender subject with such care and modesty, yet managing to include some enigmatic and symbolic scenes which begs for discussion. It's a most successful debut feature that has already earned great reception worldwide – not to say the least by scooping the Critics Week Grand Prize in Cannes.

• As devastatingly shattering as "Grbavica" - Because of war, men die and women stay to suffer

  Mancic20002009-04-10

  A desperate silence was the legitimate reaction of the audience as the ending credits roll. This is an intrinsically powerful probe of the aftermath of war, because of which men died and women were left to try to pull themselves together and move on with their lives. There are a few very powerful scenes in the movie. Alma emotionally examining what was left by her husband in her carefully kept vault, Alma dreaming about the past when she was still wearing the ring given by her husband and routinely serving him a bowl of water with a plum every morning when he was praying, and the acute exchanges between Safija and the developer in which Safija shamed the ambitious intruders which went something like: Developer: Can you survive in the village? What will happen when it snows? Safija: This is a concern for me and Alma. Developer: What if Alma remarries? Safija: Everything she does she will have my backing. Overall, this is an authentic and depressing movie depicting from a feminine perspective what is left to those who have remained after a tragic war, as powerfully accomplished as in "Grbavica". It is obvious that throughout the movie we can detect anti-Serbian sentiments. This has caused me no issues at all. Since when have we lost even the rights to love or hate for a reason?