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Witnesses (2003) 

Svjedoci (original title) 
 
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0347720/

Croatian language with English subtitles

Witnesses (Croatian: Svjedoci) is a Croatian drama film directed by Vinko Bresan. It was released in 2003.

  Leon Lucev  ...  Kreso  
  Alma Prica  ...  Novinarka  
  Mirjana Karanovic  ...  Majka  
  Drazen Kuhn  ...  Barbir  
  Kresimir Mikic  ...  Josko  
  Marinko Prga  ...  Vojo  
  Bojan Navojec  ...  Baric  
  Ljubomir Kerekes  ...  Dr. Matic  
  Predrag 'Predjo' Vusovic  ...  Ljubo  
  Tarik Filipovic  ...  Javni tuzitelj  
  Rene Bitorajac  ...  Albanac  
  Ivo Gregurevic  ...  Otac  
  Vanja Drach  ...  Penzioner  
  Helena Buljan  ...  Susjeda  
  Sreten Mokrovic  ...  Doktor  


Witnesses (Svjedoci), directed by the Croatian director Vinko Bresan and based on co-scriptwriter Jurica Pavicics novel Plaster Sheep (Ovce od gipsa), is a brave and intelligently made film, but not without weaknesses. This is Bresans third feature and a change in direction for the 40-year-old director. His first two features—How the War Began on My Island (Kako je poceo rat na mom otoku [1996]) and Marshall Titos Spirit (Marsal [2002])—were comedies of a sort.

The film is set in a small town in Croatia sometime during the early 1990s, following the secession of Croatia from Yugoslavia, which marked the eruption of a series of bloody fratricidal conflicts throughout the former Balkan federation. The atmosphere is bleak and depressing, with rundown houses, dirt roads and constant rain.

Three Croatian soldiers on leave during the 90s Balkan conflict murder a rich Serb and kidnap his young daughter to keep her quiet. A local cop begins to unravel the mystery, but none of the embittered Croatian townspeople is particularly eager to see the death avenged. Adapted from Jurica Pavicic's novel Alabaster Sheep, this 2003 Croatian feature coolly explores the shifting morality of civil war, with most of the conflict unfolding inside the youngest soldier's traumatized family. Director Vinko Bresan clutters up the story with cinematic hommages—an introductory tracking shot of epic proportions (Touch of Evil), multiple versions of the same action (Rashomon)—but its power survives. 

Witnesses isn't really a war movie. It's got some thoughts on combat, soldiers, the homefront, and how war can sap the humanity from the entire country, and they're good ones, but nothing revelatory. As the name suggests, though, the war mostly acts as a backdrop for a crime story. And once you strip away the need for greater meaning, the end result is fairly solid.

There aren't many tears shed over a murder that takes place in a Croation village during the 1991-1995 war for independence. The victim is not Croation, and lives in a large house paid for via war profiteering. An army unit comprised mostly of local soldiers is in town, so there's no shortage of people who could have committed the crime. It also means that nobody is particularly willing to help; the investigating detective, Babir (Drazen Kuhn), is berated when he asks questions of neighbors - what does it matter who killed one Serbian? And, truth be told, he's distracted; his wife lies in a coma, shrapnel lodged in her brain. The only person who seems to actually be interested in solving the case is a pretty reporter (Alma Prica), who notices that a man alone likely would not have had chocolate-coated cereal as his last meal.

Some of the more powerful moments in Bresans film are flashbacks, graphically depicting the war and its physical, psychological and emotional impact on those involved.  Equally strong is the films depiction of how the war creates an atmosphere of reprisal and revenge, not just among the soldiers but also the towns citizens. In this atmosphere, few have any regard for the lives of the alleged Serbian black-marketer and his young daughter.  

Witnesses blunt and honest portrayal of the soldiers cold-blooded murder has made Bresan the target of right-wing attacks by sections of the Croatian media and political establishment.  Particularly venomous denunciations have come from the Croatian Party of Rights, which convened a special meeting in March this year to denounce the filmmaker for betraying the country and using taxpayers money to falsely portray the Croatian military. Among the more outrageous allegations, Bresan was accused of collaborating with the Hague tribunal and its attempts to try a number of Croatian military officers for war crimes.

Bresan has rejected these contemptible claims, pointing out that they were not from serious film critics or artists, but from nationalist politicians and their supporters in the media. Witnesses, he told one interviewer, was an attempt to explore the character of war crimes and their driving forces. In our society, our war crimes are not yet fully discussed or even defined, he said. It is necessary to talk of a system of evil created within our own society. And it is something difficult to fight, even with laws. If the films ending is optimistic, it is not our reality, but what we would like to wish for.  

The directors attempt to expose a system of evil created within our society only goes so far and fails to explore the roots of the soldiers and villagers racially-inspired actions. The message of hope Bresan seeks to convey is possible. But that would require some examination of the reactionary policies of the Croatian ruling elite and rival nationalist cliques in the Balkans.

Despite these weaknesses, Witnesses does challenge the Croatian establishment and its version of events during 1990s. According to its claims, the Serbian military were the aggressors, and guilty of war crimes, while the Croatian military was simply defending itself. Bresans film is not a landmark work. But it is a sincere attempt to examine aspects of the disastrous human impact of the fratricidal Balkan conflict and its consequences.


Berlin International Film Festival  
2004  Won Peace Film Award Vinko Bresan 
2004  Won Prize of the Ecumenical Jury - Special Mention Competition Vinko Bresan 
2004  Nominated Golden Berlin Bear  Vinko Bresan 

Film by the Sea International Film Festival  
2004  Won Film and Literature Award Vinko Bresan 
 
Jerusalem Film Festival  
2004  Won In Spirit for Freedom Award Best Feature Vinko Bresan 
 
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival  
2004  Won Philip Morris Award Vinko Bresan 
 
Motovun Film Festival  
2003  Won Propeller of Motovun A to A Award Vinko Bresan 

Pula Film Festival  
2003  Won Golden Arena Best Actress in a Leading Role Alma Prica