NO MAN'S LAND

Croatia, short fiction film, duration / durée 15 min.
original format 4K, screening format DCP
with English and French subtitles / sous-titré en français / anglais 

Director / Réalisateur Branko Istvancic
Screenwriter / Scénariste Josip Mlakic
Director of photography / Directeur de la photographie Branko Cahun
Editing / Silvije Magdic
Music composer Dalibor Grubacevic
Art director Zvonko Saric
Costume designer Felicita Glavas
Producer Irena Skoric

Main cast / Interpretes principaux Aleksandar Bogdanovic, Niksa Kuselj,Djordje Kukuljica, Jasmin telalovic and Slaven Knezovic

We follow the members of the Croatian Defense Council who, during the war in Bosnia, in the search of alcohol, reach a demolished bar between the lines (no man's land) with the Bosnian Army. A conflict with their co-fighters left on the border begins.

Pendant la guerre de Bosnie des soldats du Conseil de Défense Croate partent pour boire un verre dans un café touché par un obus, situé au milieu da la zone démilitarisée, entre les lignes de front avec l'Armée Bosniaque.

Synopsis

During the war in Bosnia, members of the Croatian Defense Army embark on a search for alcohol in no-man s land. They stumble across a demolished bar between the lines with the Bosnian Army. When they reach the bar, there they find two member of the Bosnian Army, their recent ex friends. They hold them prisoners, however, after a short period of time, they start drinking together. A conflict with their co-fighters left on the line soon erupts. It is precisely here that the potential of the emphasis of the human allies, in a type of a protest against the war.

Pendant la guerre de Bosnie des soldats du Conseil de Défense Croate partent pour boire un verre dans un café touché par un obus, situé au milieu da la zone démilitarisée, entre les lignes de front avec l'Armée Bosniaque.
Arrivés devant le café, ce qui était une aventure risquée, des soldats Croates y rencontrent deux militaires de l'Armée Bosniaque. Ils réussissent a les arreter cependant tres vite ils se reconnaissent et se mettent a boire ensemble.
Apres avoir compris qu'ils étaient voisins et amis, c'état avant la folie de ce conflit, ils entrent dans une lutte avec leurs camarades restés sur la ligne de séparation, pour exprimer leur protestation contre la guerre. Pourtant, comme la nuit arrive la bonne humeur retombe.

Director's statement: This film focuses mainly on the depiction of the anxious atmosphere of the armistice of the two war parties, as well as on the interesting spectrum of the individual characters. Particular character traits in every one of the soldiers will be emphasized with the actors' technique. It is of special importance to stress the tragic destinies of the little people in the whirl of the war. They are unable to do anything so they let themselves go to the pointless war, performing almost absurd things. I think it is precisely this absurd that needs most emphasis, together with its causes and consequences. The war makes sense if one shoots, so our characters try to provoke any type of shooting at any cost. All of the characters are humiliated in some way and are incapable to do anything because they cannot cope with the war they have been sucked into. It is precisely the humiliation and powerlessness that result in absurd resistance to the war. Drinking alcohol is nothing but their protest against the war. They do not want to be a part of the war, they do not want to be warriors, but individuals, playing against the rules of the war. The culmination of this attitude, which I will stress even more with the directorial procedures, occurs in the moment when every soldier shoots in the direction of his own troops. Mutual shooting of the opposed war parties follows, while our main characters enjoy the fact they are outside of the war mechanism they were dragged into. In that sense, I want to stress their own escape from the war and the suppressed desire not to be where they are, but in a better and nicer civil life. It is precisely here that the potential of the emphasis of the human allies, in a type of a protest against the war.

Project was included in a short film co-production forum Euro Connection 2013 in Clermont Ferrand film festival and financed by the support of Croatian Audiovisual Centre