"Eastern Bosnia, 1997" "Come on!" " Silence." "When will she start?" " Soon, soon." "Avdo?" "Avdo didn't have a moustache!" "Daddy!" "How come you did not recognize Omer right away?" "Do it again!" "Do it again!" "Please, do it again!" "Let me be. I can't anymore." "Do it like the last time." "Alma, you do it." "Let me do that!" " lt's ok." "You're pulling my hair!" "What are they doing now?" "I don't know." "Faruk." "And Alma!" "Will someone replace me?" "l will." "Who is Faruk?" "Let me see if you'll guess this." "Safija?" " No!" "Then who?" "Guess!" "Why are you leaving so early?" " Off I go." "Do something else." "This is boring!" "Alahimanet (Good-bye!" ")" "SNOW" "Friday" "Safija!" "Safija, the morning prayer!" "Good morning!" "You were in the middle of the prayer... 139 over 90." "I've been feeling pressure in my head all morning long." "Measure it again!" "130 over 85." "It's stuffy in here..." "Good-bye." "Close the door." "Alma!" "Put that bowl in it's place." "I cannot spend the whole day waiting for it to fall..." "Alahimanet." "Just a little bit here..." "That's it..." "As-Salamu 'Alaykum" "Alaykum As-Salam." "Here they are, still hot." " Masha'Allah!" "Thank you..." "Again?" "Yes. lt was never longer." "He was shaking for the entire night, dreaming." "He got really scared." "If he could just tell us..." "You will tell us one day, won't you?" "He will." "With God's help..." "Need some help?" "Why are you so nervous?" "Do you have a cigarette?" "One basin - one cigarette." "Too expensive." "You can't have this." "A gift from Magnus?" " Why do you care?" "Want some make up instead?" "OK. I'll take that red eye shadow." "I'll bring it over in the afternoon." "She is spraying it all over me..." "Don't quarrel." "Open the plums nicely." "Alma, the last time I read from my cup I saw a huge scarecrow." "This big!" "Would you believe that I burnt my skirt on the same day." "The one for the beach!" "It was brand new!" "This is parching me!" "Nadija, it's burning!" "You brat!" "What's up with Jasmina?" " Go help your mum!" "Good morning, dear... I dreamt that Daddy returned, but he did not recognize me..." "Watch your fingers!" "Daddy will come back, won't he?" "Saturday" "Imagine we are at the seaside now!" "It's so scary here." "A Chetnik could come out ofnowhere." "We lived so well once..." "Omer goes off to work, I make some coffee, have a cigarette, turn on the TV..." ""Survival" was on the TV." "Remember?" "You know, those serials." "I loved when they were showing those giraffes." "God, how beautiful they are..." "Omer was a handsome guy, wasn't he?" " He was." "You won't believe what Lejla told me yesterday." "She said that I wouldn't want her fatherto come home!" "Can you imagine that?" "Why would she think that?" "Yes, he was her father, but he was also my husband." "Who wouldn't like to have her husband home?" "Why don't you tell her the truth?" " What could I say?" "What if he really survived?" "Let's go!" "How many plums will they clean today?" "If we only managed to sell two shipments..." "We could buy a Yugo from the Serbs for 400 marks!" "Drive like ladies..." "Merchandise on the roof, two of us in the car." "We could make a real business." "Business!" "?" "I would be happy if we could make enough for cigarettes." "Move back a bit or no one will stop." "Not that far, people will think that I am a hooker!" "I have to go to the toilet." "You went a minute ago." "What can I do..." "Come with me." "Do you have eyes at all?" "Are you ok?" "Are you drunk?" "I have never seen anybody here." "You can only see bears walking around here." "Yeah, really, bears..." " l'll pay for the damage..." "You can't afford it!" "Of course, he can!" "What's your name?" "Hamza..." "Here is my ID." "From Zvornik?" "Alma, he is from the same town as you." "Where are you from?" " From Slavno." "From Slavno?" "Yes." "Great!" "I can take you to the crossing if you want." "How did you end up in Slavno?" " She got married." "Why isn't your husband pushing the trailer?" "He was killed." "They killed all our men." "My entire family was killed." "Dad, Mum, my brothers..." "How did you survive?" "I spent two days lying under dead bodies, and then I escaped..." "You see!" "Maybe some of our men escaped like that." "They would have contacted you by now." "I have no one to call." "What do you do?" "I transport furniture from Germany to Bosnia." "How is the business going?" " Good, thank God." "And what are you doing?" "We make chutney, mixed salad, pickled cabbage, quince jam, cherry jam..." "Everything!" "How is the sale going?" " lt's not going at all... lt would go well if we had a way to transport our goods." "If you are interested we can offer you a special price, that is, if you buy the summer stock." "It's a deal!" "When I drop off the shipment I'll come to you to close it!" "On Wednesday?" "!" "What about the damage?" "We can forgive that." "Don't worry." "You know that we from Zvornik are men of ourword." "Here." "So it won't seem that you walked for nothing." "Thank you." "If you knew how quickly he was driving?" "!" "I wouldn't be surprised if it was a hundred per hour!" "Now, a hundred..." "When he hit us l thought we were dead!" "So, what did he say?" "He'll come on Wednesday to buy all of our products!" "Insha'Allah. (God willing.)" "What's with you two..." "He could have taken you anywhere!" "He's our man." "From Zvornik." "How could you enter an unknown man's truck..." "Are you stupid or what?" "What else could we do?" "Accept to take the money for the damage and walk home!" "I think it is better to have a long-term agreement." "What do they know about trade?" "Off I go." "Good bye." "I think it was more than just a trade." "He could not get his eyes off our Alma... I am joking, Safija..." "Just a joke!" "Every joke is half of truth." "Let's go." "We are getting up early in the morning." "Where are you going?" "You haven't had your coffee." "Alahimanet!" "Alahimanet!" "Don't hold anything against me!" "Shame on you!" "Your husbands body is still warm!" "Sunday" "Snow!" "Nine." " Nine." "How come he didn't suffocate lying under the corpses forthree days?" " Second row?" "I don't know, he didn't tell us." "Eleven, twelve..." "Fourteen." "How did he manage without the food?" "Third row?" "Where did these glasses come from?" "I found them this morning." " Where?" "By Hajro's house." "They are Daddy's." "I can tell by this on the side." "Daddy's glasses." "You made a mistake." "She didn't." " She did." "Victory!" "Sometimes I dream that my room is full of cabbage." "And it is choking me." "If we could only get rid of all of these fruits and vegetables... ls Lejla with you?" " She's up there." "She's at Hajro's house." "I found some eyeglasses there this morning." "They seem to be Omer's." "You've looked there already..." "Look over there!" "Don't go there!" "Something might bite you!" "Mum!" "I have looked there already!" "You looked there!" "?" "It's all the same to you." "Granny, your pie is simply wonderful!" "We could start selling it once we start developing the business!" "Look at us..." "Natural born businesswomen!" "In a year or two we could feed half of Bosnia!" "When the business starts with that guy, we could even feed half of Germany." "What will you do ifhe doesn't come?" "He will." "He promised." "What is it?" " Granny sent you some pie." "Where is my scarf?" "The one that Magnus gave you?" "Zehra has it..." "Get out!" "Out!" "Monday" "Good morning!" "Who the hell are you?" " Miro Jovanovic." "A Serb?" "Yes." "Do you have a cigarette?" "Yes..." "Take them all." "What brings you here?" "Business." "Business?" "You must be joking!" "Where are you from?" "From the city." " Would you mail a letter for me?" "Why not?" "Where are the others?" "There are more of us here..." "Where?" "Ok." "Thanks." "Don't forget the letter!" "l won't." "Let's go,Ali!" "Ali!" "I'll be down, so come by later." "Here you are." "Thank you." "As-Salamu 'Alaykum" "Alaykum As-Salam." "Miro." " Mehmed!" "Please..." "He is of Jovanovic family from Zoranovac!" "Really?" "What brings you here?" "Business." "Now on business, but what did you do during the war?" "I fought like everybody else did..." "But why?" "If you asked me now I would not know what to say..." "Who turned us against each other?" "I don't know who turned us against each other, but I know who killed my children!" "Not all of us were killing." " No, we were not!" "Granny, look at this." " Granny's children..." "Take care, it'll fall. - lt won't." "Did Hajro ever contact you?" "Which Hajro?" "Hajro Catic." "How do you know Hajro Catic?" "I saved him during the war." "I bought his house in haste, fixed his papers for America..." "Do you know exactly where he is?" " No. I don't." "Did you by any chance meet Omer Hadzic?" "My dad." "Tall, dark haired, slim man..." "Omer Hadzic." "Tall man." "He had a moustache..." "Wore eyeglasses..." "He had glasses with something golden on the side..." "Omer Hadzic..." "My dad..." "And what did you say?" "What business brings you here?" "I have good news foryou." "Some foreigners like this region, but they have no time to look for every person." "And they do not want an unclearsituation." "They want to solve everything in one package." "Finish the business, get the money." "What?" "They would buy our land for good money." "So we can live like people as well." "They bought all of this, and the only part that they need is our land." "They would pay better money for it." "This is what they offer." "Take a look." "And I will come back on Thursday." "Don't bother coming back." "To make things clear, I am just a messenger." "is he well?" "He hardly calmed down." "His hair grew again." "You forgot this." "Go, have some rest." "Alahimanet." "Tuesday" "As-Salamu 'Alaykum" "Alaykum As-Salam." "What isthis?" "Some Serb brought it." "He came yesterday." "is he your compatriot as well?" "The GG Company undertakes to pay the full purchase price for your property, appraised at seventy thousand KM!" "Seventy thousand, Jaca?" "The GG Company will make payment in two instalments." "The first instalment, amounting to 50% of the agreed price, is to be paid upon the signing of the contract." "The second instalment ofthe equal value is to be paid at the start ofworks on the Slavno project." "Under article 55 ofthe official gazette... all disputes will be solved before authorized court." "How does it sound to you?" "They took them away in their pyjamas... I didn't even have enough time to give them jackets." "Omer had enough time to put on his jacket, but what difference did that make?" "Why did his hair grow again?" " Because ofthe bogeyman!" "Let's go. I have something to show you." "Hurry." "You're not giving up?" "I mean, since we are selling the village!" "You are so stupid." "How will I do it?" "Nice..." "Easy." "I haven't even touched you!" " l will do it." "Hurry up!" "This isn't taking anything off!" "This is sacred!" "Do you understand?" "Sacred!" "Do you understand?" "Sacred!" "Zehra!" "Zehra!" "Don't go there!" "Zehra!" "Come back!" "There is a minefield!" "What if she steps on a mine!" "She won't, don't worry." "There are no minesthere." "There she is!" "I am not going to lose you as well!" "Wednesday" "Careful!" "Don't make any stains." "We should bring out the ayvar." " Bring it, then." "This potato is great, granny." ""Once I dreamt that I was a Snow queen, that I was a charmer, sometimes even a beauty queen."" "Maybe something came up and he couldn't come." "Your compatriot did not show up!" "Let me be, Safija. I'm really not in the mood now..." "Why am I thinking?" "I should sell everything to the Serb, damned is he and this village!" "What does this mean to me when I don't have my child?" "And I don't have my husband..." "And you..." "Fine." "Thursday" "Where did this come from?" "Safija!" "Safija!" "Safija is sick." "Go get someone, get Grandpa." "Quickly!" "is there water here?" " Lots!" "Lots of water." "Look at this!" "Safija is not feeling well." "She is sick!" "What's going on children?" " Safija is sick." "Who?" "Safija." "And where is she?" "Sick?" "Yes." "She is not feeling well." "Thank God." "Her pulse is normal." "Who are these men?" "The man with the contracts." "What happened?" " She was sick." "is she better now?" " Yes, I am fine." "You are here." "This is Marc." "Nadija." "Nice to meet you." " Marc." "Make some coffee." " Don't." "We will drink it down there." "Let's go." "Good-bye." " Good-bye." "Zehra don't do that..." "Don't..." "Zehra!" "Stop it!" " Move and I'll stop." "Well, what have you decided?" "Maybe I should explain something more." "Article 7 is not clear to me." "If GG does not pay you the amount, then the bank will do that with interest of 2%." "I fought so much, Mr. Marc knows how much we talked, for the contracts to be for our benefit." "Ok, and what about this Article..." "I did not understand..." "Why are you interfering?" "Just like that..." "Just like that?" "You did not mean to sign this?" "It's better for you." "Mum, you know what would happen ifFather came back and found out that you sold the house." "Who is Father?" " Omer." "Take it easy." "Like I am doing this for my own sake." "Father is alive." "We found his eyeglasses." "You said that Hajro saved himself." "So did my father." "I must tell you something." "Sit down." "It's about Omer." "About who?" "Your Omer." "You heard something?" " l did not hear, I saw." "They killed him." "I saw it with my own eyes." "I could save Hajro, but not Omer unfortunately." "Look at this." "What are you looking for?" " Just looking around." "Where are the others?" "They just left." "How is your mother-in-law?" "Fine." "Ms?" "Can I have a moment?" "You are?" "Alma." "You think you can live off ofthis?" " Not live, but get rich!" "It's a tough and long way from zero to wealth." "You have nothing here!" "Sorry, we don't have a lot oftime." "We should visit the owners." "Don't cry!" "At least you have a mum!" "We have no mum and no dad." "Leave that!" "Mrs. Safija, you know why are we here." "Considering that the entire estate is in your husbands name and it is the largest in these parts, your opinion means a lot to us." "Please explain this contract." "Which article?" "All one by one if possible!" "Can I have a cigarette!" " Please don't, my heart is weak." "Mrs. Safija, you deserve better life conditions." "Yeah!" "Miro, please can you pass me the pressure gauge." "The contract is between GG..." " What kind of company is that?" "We are a corporation involved in construction." "Our priorities are countries in development at the moment." "And what are you constructing?" "Different things." "Hotels, roads, retreats..." "Put this back..." "And a glass of water, please." "Do you really think that you can survive here?" "What will you do when the snow falls?" "That's mine and Alma's concern." "What if she remarries?" "I don't know why are you bothering me." "Alma has my backing whatever she decides." "We are one house, one family." "You will have to leave, this way or another." "We shall see about that!" "This project is supported by the Minister." "And the government." "What is it?" "Why are you standing there!" "Make us some coffee." "Your decision is right and it is for your own good." "Please don't comfort us." "Can you fix me a visa forSweden." " l can." "When will I get the money?" "Today we have a meeting with the government." "We have more than half of the signatures." "There should be no problem." " When?" "In two weeks." "Granny!" "Mrs. Fatima." "Yes, son." "Everyone signed so we came to you." "Everyone?" "Even Alma?" "She signed." "And what about the Bey's wife?" "Safija." "Yes, she did." "If everybody signed, then OK." "Here." "Here... lt wasn't as difficult as we thought!" "No network!" "It's the pipe." "What do we do now?" "I don't care." "You said that the contracts were signed, and they were not." "We have four of six signed. lt is..." "We were supposed to stay one hour, we stayed five." "You brought me here in a broken car." "I am late for an important meeting." "I don't care." "Go walk for help!" "But it is 20 km to the road." "That's your problem!" "What's wrong with you?" "We signed." "Who signed?" "Us!" "You can't even take care of yourself and your child in the village!" "What will you do for a living?" "You have no education!" "Do you honestly think that the cities are waiting for you and me with their hands open?" "I am fed up with you all treating me like a fool." "My whole life I've been doing what I was told." "Listen to my husband!" "Listen to Lejla!" "Listen to you!" "It is going to stop!" "I want to live my life;" "to do what I want." "Why can't you do it here?" "Because of you; because of you all." "I do not want to work like an animal!" "What for?" "So I cannot even afford a cigarette!" "It is the 20th century and look how we live!" "It is sad what you consider a good life." "How about you Alma, what do you consider a good life?" "This, what we have... the village... us..." "You don't know how it is to have children. I know." "Those orphans are my children now and I want to get them through school." "I want to give them a normal life." "We can have a normal life here." " When?" "In a hundred years?" "Shit." "What are you doing here?" " Our car broke down..." "What happened to him?" "He fell." "It was Faruk's dream..." "Slavno to feed half ofBosnia... I wanted... I am not sure any more..." "Maybe it is best for of all us to leave... lt is not." "We made it through worse." "Go change." "Just a moment." " Come in." "As-Salamu 'Alaykum" "Alaykum As-Salam." "Where were you?" " Don't ask." "He got scared again." " What can you do." "What happened here?" "Leave it." "They sold the village." "Magnus." "It's me." "It's me, Sabrina." "Sabrina." "Bibi." "Grandpa's boy." "He will do us well some more." "Alma, God sees it all." "Alma, don't you ever forget that." "Let's go overto Nadija's." "Give him that shirt." "Why do we have to leave the village?" "Don't we have everything we need here?" "Sleep." "I can't, thanks." "I am not going anywhere!" "Where is my contract?" "Why?" "Give me my contract!" "You signed it. lt's over." " Give me my contract back!" "Let's go!" "Where to?" "We'll sleep in the car." "Leave her alone!" "Fucking villagers!" "People... I haven't done anything." "I told them to let them go." "They are haunting me for years!" "I haven't killed anyone." "You saw it yourself." "Don't!" "Let them go!" "Where are our children?" "In the Blue cave!" "Snow." "Friday, 1998" "Come on!" " We're coming."