Inn a State of Siege

The Holiday Inn was a crucial site during the Siege of Sarajevo 1992–1995. Situated along “Sniper Alley”, it housed international journalists. But what of the hotel staff? This revealing documentary gathers accounts from three men who braved daily danger to keep the hotel running.

“There are scenes I try to forget. Sometimes they surface on their own.” When documentarian Qali Nur investigated the crucial historic site of the Holiday Inn – a hub for international journalists during the four-year siege of Sarajevo 1992–1995 – she realised that testimonies from the hotel’s staff had rarely been recorded. Finding three survivors – chef Mustafa, driver Ismet and waiter Frank – she gathers their precious memories of daily tragedy and resilience in the direct line of gunfire and grenades.

At stake is not only the historical record, but also the transmission of understanding and compassion between these men and their now adult children – who appear in re-creations of key episodes. How much of the painful past needs to be recovered in order to surmount massive, collective trauma?

Combining intimate, often heartbreaking interviews and conversations between friends with extensive news footage, Inn a State of Siege gives a detailed, informative account of those hard years. And it leaves us with a timely anti-war message addressed to the world of the present.

– Adrian Martin

Trailer

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