Twenty-eight years after eight children were killed in a missile attack in Central Bosnia, their parents are still living in the houses they inhabited on the day their children died. For decades, they have carried their grief largely in silence.
The 1993 attack took place during a ceasefire in the conflict between Croats and Bosniaks, and the crime remains entangled in conflicting narratives of the war. When an investigation is reopened and a trial begins, the fragile balance the parents have built around their loss is unsettled. Fear, doubt and suspicion return.
Through their everyday lives, relationships and long-held silences, the film asks what happens when the past is confronted after decades of silence, and whether victims can recognise the suffering of others when their stories are different.
“Accomplished theatre director Marina Petković Liker is using her unique approach to directing with a story about the most innocent victims of war: children, and the irreparable damage that the loss of children leaves decades after the guns have cooled down. Marina has already spent five years with the families who lost eight children, when unexpectedly, 30 years after the war, persecution started. With the patience and skills developed in the performing arts, Marina takes a clear approach, allowing the story to unfold through a balance of post-tragedy silence and a strong narrative hidden beneath the surface. The story is of particular relevance today as new wars rage with their long-term consequences out of sight,” Croatian producer Tiha Gudac told FNE.
Tiha Gudac and Marina Petković Liker are producing through Croatia’s Četveroruka in coproduction with the Croatian National Theatre in Mostar (HNK Mostar). The project was supported by the Croatian Audiovisual Centre (HAVC) with 25,000 EUR for development and 80,000 EUR for production.
The planned budget is 190,000 EUR.
The project, which originally commenced production back in 2021, is currently entering its final stretch. Principal photography is scheduled to continue through December 2026, running simultaneously with the editing process of the existing footage. Filming is taking place in Vitez and Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina).
The completion date is expected for November 2027.
The producers aim to launch the film on the international festival circuit in 2028, though the exact venue for the world premiere has not been specified yet.
The producers are actively seeking additional international coproducers. No sales agent or distributors are attached to the project yet.
The project has already gained international industry attention, participating in prominent workshops such as ZagrebDox Slow Pitch and Rab Lab.
Production Information:
Producer:
Četveroruka (Croatia)
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Coproducer:
Croatian National Theatre in Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Credits:
Director: Marina Petković Liker
Screenwriter: Marina Petković Liker
DoP: Nina Đurđević
Editor: Iva Ivan
Composer: TBA
