My Own Private War

Prize winning documentary about war and reconciliation. 

What happens to a family long after a war is over? Can one ensure that their children don’t have to carry their burden? In this very personal documentary Lidija Zelovic makes an inner journey through her memories, places and people she loves. Meanwhile she tries to leave her past behind her. During the making of this film Zelovic finds that the real war is raging within people. Even inside herself.

The Jury of Vision Du Reel wrote the following about the documentary: 
'...My Own Private War is one of the most honest investigations seen on the war in former Yugoslavia so far. It’s how the filmmaker proceeds, how she convinces us, her stubbornness, her conscience, her decision to put herself at risk. Having returned to Bosnia, she meets a cousin who was a sniper during the war, a journalist who closely followed Mladics, her loved ones who, around a table, talk of past and present... As the film moves along, something like non-reconciliation surfaces: the filmmaker would like to understand and find peace, but she cannot... Perhaps she never will. An emotional confession of collective responsibility, My Own Private War thus ends up being the film of an impossible love, against fear and hatred.'

 

Director: Lidija Zelovic
Length: 70 minutes
Broadcaster: IKON/EO
Financing: Dutch Mediafonds
International Distribution: Taskovski Film International

Prizes
1st Prize of President of the Festival at Sevastopol International Festival of Documentary Films and TV  
programs «ПОБЕДИЛИ ВМЕСТЕ» 2016
‘Best Human Rights Film’ at FreeZone Belgrade 2016
‘Prix Mémoire De La Méditerranée’ at PriMed – International Festival of Mediterranean Documentary and Reportage 2016
First Award for ‘Best History Documentary’ at Beyond the Borders Festival, Castellorizo 2017
‘Special Mention’ for Silver Eye Awards 2016

Nominations
Nomination ’Best Political Film’, Hamburg Film Festival 2016
Visions du Reel/ Switzerland/ - nomination Internationale Moyens Métrages/  2016
Sarajevo International Film Festival /Bosna and Herzegovina/  2016

Selection of Fetivals 
Esperanza Film Festival/ Russia/ August 2016
Budapest International FF/ Hungary/ 2016
Signes de Nuit/ Portuga/ 2016
Verzio Doc Film Festival/ Hungary/ 2016
Fast Forward Human Rights Film Festival/ UBRZAJ/ Montenegro/ 2016
Trieste Film Festival/ Italy/ 2017
Zagreb Dox/ Croatia/ 2017
Balkan Florence Express the Exhibition of Balkan Cinema/ Italy/ 2017
A l'Est du Nouveau Film Festival/ Eastern and Southern European Film Festival/ France/ 2017
Sarajevo sur Seine Film Festival/ France/ 2017
Re-Verzio Film Series/ Hungary/ 2017
LET'S CEE Film Festival/ Austria/ 2017
Signes de Nuit/ France/ 2017
Vilnius Film Festival, 2017