Review of Welcome to Sarajevo (1997) by Jeffrey M — 08 Jun 2012

Welcome to Sarajevo features an effective blend of fact and fiction, incorporating actual archival footage. It has a number of good performances, combined with energetic direction and an often heartbreaking, but authentic, view of war. It does suffer, however, from its loose narrative structure which makes the film feel a bit unfocused. I would have preferred to have seen a more meditative look at the conflict, including the political complexities. Because of the structure, we never really get emotionally involved with most of the major characters, and are left to wonder what exactly the film is trying to say. Overall the film gives much needed attention to a forgotten conflict, and does just enough right to make it worth a watch.

3/5 Stars.