On Monday, Kevin reported on a story saying Angelina Jolie would begin shooting a movie set during the 1992-1995 Bosnian War this fall. At that time Kevin was also correct to speculate whether or not Jolie would be starring in the film or, as he put it, taking “a more hands-on approach.” His instincts were correct as it’s been revealed Jolie won’t be starring in, what I am currently referring to in the database as, the Untitled Angelina Jolie Bosnian War Film. In fact, she wrote the script and will be making her feature directorial debut with the film GK Films comfirmed.
Jolie described the story calling it “a love story, not a political statement.” At that time the only plot details were limited to saying it would focus on a couple who meet on the eve of the Bosnian War and the effect it has on their relationship. However, today the first bit of casting was revealed including some further plot details.
The Playlist, citing an interview in the Serbian paper Blic, learned Croation actor Rade Serbedzija is the first to join the cast of what Jolie has said will include “as many local people as possible.”
Serbedzija gave a slightly more detailed (and spoilerish) account of the synopsis saying it’s “a love story about a young Serb and a Muslim woman who fell in love several evenings before beginning of war in Bosnia. That’s how film begins. Then follows war madness. The action follows war events with young Muslim woman ending up in a Serbian concentration camp from where she is somehow saved by the young Serb. Their love becomes passionate but impossible.”
While the casting of the young couple is yet to be revealed Serbedzija says he’ll be playing the “father of the main hero, a Serbian patriot. That is a very good character. He is a nationalist, but not a negative character. The story about him is very complex. He is a man with traumas from the WWII whose whole family was killed. He has that tragedy in himself and his nationalism is arising from it.”
Serbedzija also stresses the film is not anti-Serbian and says of Jolie’s script, “The text is fantastic.”
Of course, as to whether or not this is a simple love story or a political statement is already drawing raised eyebrows considering Bosnian War love stories aren’t falling off trees.
In the same piece that carried the initial announcement, it was revealed Jolie “was in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, this past weekend [Aug. 14-15], meeting with the country’s leaders to discuss the plight of the more than 113,000 displaced persons living in the country.” Hard to imagine she’ll be able to separate herself, especially considering Jolie’s much talked about humanitarian efforts and the fact she’s a United Nations goodwill ambassador. Then again, who says she has to separate herself from politics?
Production is expected to begin this fall in Sarajevo and Budapest.
