Deserters
Hybrid documentary essay about a generation of Bosnian and Herzegovinian high schoolers from the town of Mostar, who were sitting on the cusp of adulthood at the outbreak of a devastating war. This tapestry of memories from the early nineties is composed of modern-day postcards and silent images of sites of war, which the film’s protagonists were forced to abandon. Today, the serenity of these sites lies in contrast to the emotional outpouring from refugee camps all over Europe. In letters addressed to the film’s director, they describe their flight across the border, experiences in refugee camps, and their lasting hatred of the enemies who took away their home and their youth. A film about a lost generation, exile, difficult choices, and an answer to the toughest question of any war: stay or run?
Damir Markovina was born in 1973, in Belgrade, Yugoslavia. In 2022, he graduated in Film and TV Directing (Documentary Film) from the Academy of Dramatic Art in Zagreb, having previously graduated in acting from the same school. He appeared in many Croatian films and TV series. He is a film director, producer, and writer. His short documentary film, Šihta was selected for the 25th Sarajevo Film Festival official student competition in 2019. His medium-length documentary film, Wait for Me won, among other things, the AJB DOC festival’s main award in Sarajevo in 2021, and Oktavijan – the Croatian national FIPRESCI award for the best Croatian documentary film. His second medium-length documentary film, Deserters won the best Central and Eastern European medium-length documentary and the Best Sound Design at Jihlava IDFF 2022, where it had its world premiere.
