Search - Welcome to Sarajevo on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Violence, Adult Situations, Not For Children Movie Release: 1997 DVD Release: 02/03/2004 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV - Closed Captioned Edition: Dual Layered Audio Tracks: English, French Subtitles: English SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 42 mins Studio: Miramax Members Wishing: 4 Genres: Drama, War, War Drama

A startling examination of the Bosnian war of the mid-1990s and the role of journalists in covering it, this film was based on real-life journalist Michael Nicholson's book -Natasha's Story. Like Nicholson, cynical journalist Henderson (Stephen Dillane) is one of the rat pack of reporters looking for gore in the streets of besieged Sarajevo. He is outraged when grandstanding reporter Flynn (Woody Harrelson) helps local citizens remove the corpse of a mother gunned down on a family outing. But the next day, Henderson is among the journalist vultures at a grisly scene, and he has to tell a little girl that both her parents were killed. When his story is demoted by his television network in favor of a celebrity puff piece, Henderson is angry. At the behest of his producer, Jane Carson (Kerry Fox), he visits a local orphanage. Henderson becomes deeply involved with the plight of the children and starts documenting their individual stories even as his employers express increasing disinterest. Henderson campaigns to get the kids out of Yugoslavia, with the help of an American aid worker, Nina (Marisa Tomei). He promises a girl named Emira (Emira Nusevic) that he'll take her back to his home in England. To make good on his vow, he must risk both his career and his life. He adopts the child and she is happy in England. But he must return to war-torn Sarajevo when her birth mother, who had abandoned her, demands her daughter back. ~ Michael Betzold, All Movie Guide

Stephen Dillane - Henderson
Woody Harrelson - Flynn
Marisa Tomei - Nina

Seen by few in theaters, this film about the atrocities of the Bosnian war, as seen through the eyes of war reporters, has a far better chance to gain a wider audience now. Not a flashy disc by any means, the simple presentation is still noteworthy. The 2.35:1 picture, enhanced for widescreen televisions, is a mix of dramatic footage, both fictional and documented, from the actual conflict. Scenes shot for the movie are very sharp and clear, while the actual recordings from the horrific war zone are often grainy, based on the televised medium. Together, they combine to give an immediacy to the surroundings, and are entirely effective on this disc. The sound, using a two-channel surround track, is more active than would be expected. Dialogue is generally clear and understood, and there are even selected moments where the audio field widens, helping accentuate the environment. What is lacking on the disc is a significant number of supplements. Fortunately, the 21-minute documentary about war correspondents, featuring interviews with the cast, crew, and actual reporters who have covered a number of recent wars, is well worth the watch. This piece highlights not only the tragic consequences of the conflict, but the difficult job in delivering this information to the public. Welcome to Sarajevo presents a human face to dreadful circumstances, and the results, both with the film and the DVD, are very satisfactory. ~ Trent Fordham, All Movie Guide