Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020) Movie Review
Quo Vadis, Aida? is based on a true story. It was one of my favorite movies of 2020 and tells the story of a genocide that few people seem to be acutely aware of. In 1995, the Bosnian Serb army raided the town of Srebrenica. The army was under the command of General Ratko Mladic. Thousands of townspeople flocked to the U.N. compound which was supposed to be a safe haven. Shortly thereafter, the innocent civilians were handed over to Mladic who systematically murdered them. Around 8,000 people died in this genocide.
Quo Vadis, Aida? tells their story through the lens of Aida (Jasna Djuricic). She is a U.N. translator and she was also a teacher in Srebrenica before the war. Her husband Nihad (Izudin Bajrovic) and her two sons, Sejo (Dina Bajrovic) and Hamdija (Boris Ler), show up only after the town is raided. Aida convinces Nihad to become a civilian delegate in “negotiations” with Mladic and U.N. commanders. It allows for the family to be together inside the compound rather than being stuck outside facing a guarded gate. She attempts to use her U.N. badge to get her family a minimal amount of protection. All the while she is still juggling translating duties.
As the movie churns on, the feeling of desperation intensifies. It becomes clear that the U.N. will not be helping the civilians. It also becomes painfully clear that Mladic’s vow to transport the civilians to a safe zone via bus is nothing but a ruse. It’s alarming to watch people herded onto buses and trucks with no information and the U.N. standing by unable (or unwilling) to do anything. Aida has perhaps the worst position of all, being forced to communicate what she knows to be falsities to the civilians. Several times throughout the movie we see Aida reassuring her friends and neighbors and trying to be of help to them. The absurdity of the situation will not be lost on you as you watch it.
An immense amount of credit must go to writer and director Jasmila Zbanic who crafts an intense and compelling story that builds and builds until it explodes. This movie will hit you in the gut and keep on punching until you have no breath left. There is no sugar coating or softening of this story. Zbanic lays it bare for all to see. You feel the impending sense of dread as Aida fights to keep her family safe. You see her ticking off each option one by one until none are left. Aida is trapped and the claustrophobic reality of her situation will make you squirm as you watch it unfold. Djuricic is a revelation. Strong, brave, and capable but likewise trapped and helpless. Another actor would not have been able to relay so much information with a single look. She will break your heart and then she’ll break it again.
Zbanic chooses a perfect ending. After the bloody massacre, there is a sense of a faux normalcy but it is tinged with the knowledge of what happened here and the immeasurable loss that occurred. There are some things that time simply cannot heal and Quo Vadis Aida? explores that area to perfection.
Film or Movie: Film
You’ll like this film if:
1. You don’t mind reading subtitles
2. You are familiar with the history of the Srebrenica genocide
3. You like suspense
