The Last Epoch: A film about Srebrenica, genocide, and tragedy

Filming of the first feature film about Srebrenica, the Srebrenica genocide, and the victims of the Srebrenica tragedy, titled The Last Epoch - Posljednja epoha, will begin at the end of August, or the beginning of September in Potočari, it was announced at today's press conference held in Sarajevo, attended by representatives of public life, guests, and friends of the seventh art, reports the BH news agency Patria.

The film deals with a significant and painful moment in the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina – the genocide in Srebrenica on July 11, 1995. This project, 21 years after the end of the war, talks about the events in Srebrenica through three perspectives: the story of a UN soldier who was in the Dutch Battalion during the war and who, after so many years, returns to Srebrenica for the first time to seek long-lost peace of mind, the story of a girl who learns she was adopted abroad and returns to Srebrenica in search of her real parents, and the story of the Mother of Srebrenica, Hatidža Mehmedović – the devastatingly tragic life story of a woman with a heart of steel.

The screenwriter and director of the film is Veysel Atasever, a German of Turkish descent, who has built his career to date on documentaries. This film is expected to be his feature film debut.

- The film's plot takes place in two time periods: the time of 1995 when the genocide in Srebrenica occurred, and 2015, 20 years after the genocide. In this way, I want to show how the events of 1995 affected these characters. Two years ago, I watched the funeral procession from Potočari and realized that although I live and work in Germany, I know almost nothing about the genocide in Srebrenica. I started intensive research, reading documents, meeting and talking to people from Srebrenica. These people mean a lot to me. I realized that it is my human obligation to make this film - Ataserver emphasized.    

The film's producer, Funda Ayan, a long-time collaborator in the production of almost all well-known German TV channels, touched upon the technical realization of the filming of The Last Epoch and emphasized that the filming will last at least two months. She also stressed that some scenes of the film will be shot in Germany and the Netherlands.

- The first part of the film will be shot in local languages, while the second part will be in English. The film will feature various actors from different countries. We already know that Mersiha Husagić plays the main female role, but we will organize a casting here in BiH to collaborate with BiH actors and the film industry - Ayan said about the research that crucially influenced the decision to proceed with this film.

The life story of Hatidža Mehmedović strongly influenced and inspired screenwriter and director Atasever.

- I thank these young people who have decided to make a film about the true events in Srebrenica. Because without truth, justice, and fairness, we will not have a brighter future. I am glad that this film will be made for future generations, so they know what happened. Not to hate, but to choose the right path, not the path of hatred and crime that took our loved ones from us. We who have lost our loved ones and will not experience any joy from them, do not want any mother in the world to experience our fate, to stand by a mass grave, waiting to find at least one bone of her child. That pain is impossible to describe, but that is why we must write, talk, film so as not to forget. This film will not help me get my loved ones back, but it will help future generations choose the right path, not the path of hatred - Mehmedović emphasized.

The main role in the film is played by actress Mersiha Husagić, a refugee from BiH who fled to Germany with her mother during the war.

- It is a great honor and immense pleasure for me that I listened to my heart and said YES – for this film, for my people, my parents, my neighbors, for my Srebrenica. I remember the first message I received from Veysel, which read "Srebrenica-film". I was just reading the book "Srebrenica City", which deeply moved me. This will be the second feature film in which I have a female role, but it cannot be compared to the first. Because this is the fulfillment of my wish to make this type of film about Bosnia, especially as a refugee - Husagić said.

The authors have long researched the events that resulted in the genocide in Srebrenica. They were significantly helped in this by their acquaintance with one of the most famous photojournalists in BiH, Ahmed Bajrić Blicko, who in July 1995 documented the arrival of wounded, exhausted, persecuted, frightened, hungry Srebrenica residents in the free territory in Sapna.

- Those were emotionally very difficult and harrowing scenes that I will never forget. To see those exhausted, sick, hungry people who went through real torture on the Path of Salvation, from the dangers lurking at every part of the road, hunger, chemical weapons, poisoned springs, the disbelief that they had survived... Just as I documented those scenes in 1995, I will now be taking photographs for the feature film - Bajrić emphasized.

When asked by journalists why the film is called The Last Epoch, Ataserver stated that he almost had the script written but lacked a title.

- I opted for the title The Last Epoch because I truly want and believe that people in Bosnia and Herzegovina deserve this to be the last epoch of war, genocide, hatred, suffering. - Ataserver said.    

Film producer Funda Ayan said that she has not approached the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina for financial assistance in realizing this film, but that she is in serious contact with significant business people in BiH and hopes for cooperation in that area.