Interrogation

Director Namik Kabil interviews a group of eyewitnesses of the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina in a rusty, dingy, deserted shed. They sit at a table, plastic cup of coffee and ashtray within reach, harshly lit by fluorescent light - as if it were an interrogation. Kabil films them with a handheld camera, against a background of grimy tiles, while asking elementary questions about the war. "When did the war start for you?" "What did you eat?" "Did you see dead people?" "Did you learn anything from the war?" And especially, "do we need to talk about the war?" With one exception, they all think they do, but they say many people prefer to keep silent about it. "It's like when you have an elephant in the middle of the room," a woman says, "and everyone pretends it's not there." They talk about their experiences in Sarajevo, in the trenches or abroad, about their dulled feelings, about the solidarity during the war. But despite Kabil's repeated attempts to find out who shot at them, the interviewees still lack the courage to discuss it. "We didn't shoot at ourselves" is one woman's way of evading the question. But to the question as to who won the war, the answer is unanimous. "No one." (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)