World premiere of the documentary 'Home': The story of Mirela, the Siege of Sarajevo, and the Bjelave Children's Home

(Patria) - The Italian-Bosnian documentary film "Home", directed by Massimiliano Battistella, which opens the Venice Nights section during the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, had its world premiere tonight at the 31st Sarajevo Film Festival (SFF).

Numerous public figures attended the premiere at Cineplexx, and one of the guests was the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Željko Komšić.



The documentary was produced by Riccardo Biadene on behalf of KAMA Productions from Rome, in co-production with Ivana Cvetković Bajrović from Method and Nihad Kreševljaković from MESS, with the participation of Global Film Partners from Amsterdam.

"Home" follows forty-year-old Mirela, who was evacuated to Italy in 1992 during the Siege of Sarajevo as one of 66 children from the Home for Children without Parental Care in Bjelave.

Mirela, who now lives with her family in Rimini, embarks on a journey to Sarajevo to reconcile with her past and wounded identity, search for her mother, and meet those who remained in the Home during the siege.

Through encounters with childhood friends, the film intertwines individual memory and collective history, giving voice to those who, as children, experienced one of the most difficult tragedies of post-war Europe.

Enriched with valuable archival material and music by Bosnian composer Nedim Zlatar, the film poetically follows the protagonist's perspective, placing children at the center of the discourse.



- During the filming, a creative and emotional dialogue was established, supported by the psychodrama method, thanks to the risk taken by Riccardo Biadene, a brave producer who invested in a valuable collaboration with psychodramaturgist Lisa Pazzaglia, a very unusual professional figure in the film context - says director Massimiliano Battistella.

According to him, "Home" represents a deeply personal yet universal story about the strength of the human spirit and the search for belonging.

- By telling Mirela's story, I wanted - together with her - to stand by all those children whom war tears away from their lives, thereby condemning them to an eternal search for their roots; it is an extremely painful experience that few, including Mirela, manage to overcome - adds Battistella.