Days and Hours

Peace has come to Sarajevo and in the Bystrik district there is no sign of a house shot to smithereens or a foreign soldier. Everything looks peaceful in the home of the elderly couple Idriz and Sabira. One day, their nephew Fuke comes by to repair the boiler and have a chat. No one talks openly about the past, but the atmosphere is sorrowful. When Fuke’s car won’t start, he has to spend the night with his uncle and aunt. Then we find out that Idriz and Sabira have lost their son. Fuke’s presence softens their silent anguish. Nothing exciting happens: they drink coffee and chat with the neighbours. The sorrow of this couple is only the tip of the iceberg. In Days and Hours, the consequences of the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina become visible. For those who have seen Fuse, the first film by Pjer Zalica, Days and Hours might well come as a surprise; the film has been made in a different genre and has a very different tempo. The production is a great success thanks to the combined talent of the experienced scriptwriter Namik Kabil and the director, who represents a new generation. It is a film about the consequences and the impact of the war, a powerful, deeply human and psychological portrait of a city and its inhabitants, who have lived through hell. (LC)