Quo Vadis, Aida?

Released Mar 5, 2021

1 hr. 42 min.

Drama

War

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100%

79 Reviews

Tomatometer

89%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

Bosnia, July 11th 1995. Aida is a translator for the United Nations in the small town of Srebrenica. When the Serbian army takes over the town, her family is among the thousands of citizens looking for shelter in the UN camp. As an insider to the negotiations Aida has access to crucial information that she needs to interpret. What is at the horizon for her family and people -- rescue or death? Which move should she take?

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Critics Consensus

Quo Vadis, Aida? uses one woman's heartbreaking conflict to offer a searing account of war's devastating human toll.

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Molly M

Bosnia-Herzegovina's submission for the 93rd Academy Awards is a heart-wrenching story fuelled by a mother's desire to protect her family. Throughout the 101 minutes, viewers are taken on a harrowing journey through crowded UN bases to wartorn towns and cities. Based on a true story, 'Quo Vadis, Aida?' follows Aida Selmanagić (Jasna Đuričić), a translator for the UN, from a small town known as Srebrenica. When the Serbian army takes over the town, her family is among the thousands of residents forced to leave their homes and seek shelter within the UN base where she works. Despite her family being in imminent danger, Aida must remain calm and collected while Bosnian General Ratko Mladić (Boris Isaković) engages in negotiations to maintain the civilians 'safety'. Will Aida be able to save her family while translating crucial information? Jasna Đuričić gives a sensational performance in the leading role. Her portrayal of Aida is effortlessly fuelled by a mother's love for her family. Her need to protect her family oozes off the screen and only makes viewers sympathise even more with the character. The supporting cast also gives exceptional performances. Boris Isaković plays General Ratko with a perfect amount of arrogance, he portrays him as the monster he is without being too in your face. Izudin Bajrović, Boris Ler and Dino Bajrović all provide performances that show just how daunting a situation they're in. Director Jasmila Žbanić delivers such a devastating and brutal film to viewers, all the while keeping them interested and keeping the film moving. As well as directing, Žbanić also serves as producer and writer, providing the cast with a beautifully written script to work from. Christine A Maier's cinematography is utterly captivating, with imagery ranging from tight close-ups to wide shots framing swarms of helpless civilians, shocking viewers and giving them something to sympathise with that isn't Aida's struggle. Frequent handheld shots make viewers feel even more immersed in the gut-wrenching tragedy unfolding in front of them. 'Quo Vadis, Aida?' does an excellent job of showing Aida's struggle as well as the wider problem, Aida's family isn't the only family displaced by the horrors of war. Žbanić also includes scenes that help viewers to realise just how many people had been affected by what was going on at the time. The numerous close-ups of character's faces throughout the film add yet another layer of emotion for viewers to sympathise with, and maybe even relate to. The film also does a great job following Aida's struggle as a mother to keep her family safe, begging on her knees and hiding them in machines in an effort to keep them near to her and away from whatever fate may lie ahead. The film will appeal to many people as not only does it explore themes of family, but it also explores the idea of war. 'Quo Vadis, Aida?' isn't the first film made about the Srebrenica massacre, films like 'Srebrenica: A Cry from the Grave' and 'Circles' both follow the horrors that occurred during the Bosnian War, which only ended roughly 25 years ago. Overall, 'Quo Vadis, Aida?' is a harrowing tale that depicts the savagery of war and the desperation to keep your family safe.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/17/23

Full Review

Genti M

There's no real flaw here. A deeply touching and realistically disturbing true story. Having lived most of my life in Eastern Europe, I understand this particular pain more so than others. Kind of difficult to stop thinking about this film even after some time.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

11/26/22

Full Review

Kyle M

"Life is Beautiful" is a titular reminder against its horrifically devastating backdrop with effective efforts brought stirred emotional promises, and the trauma gets replayed in this emotionally weighted societally disastrous thriller that unfortunately states history repeats itself under same applied rules as reincarnation onto elsewhere. Its critically acclaimed stature shall be its main draw if dramatized historical events are unheard of prior to viewing, which should typically change afterwards when fully grasped what it was building up towards with evoked shock value that rarely punches cinematically, before punching harder amid depressing closure leading into a poetic polishing end. Brilliantly directed as dread looms uncertainty, powerfully performed enabling connective resonance, and emotionally punched at ideal appropriateness – brief further research showed another side that's best left implied, this type of historical exposure spread intimate awareness towards overseas events that deserves our acknowledging attention via impactful visions. (B+)

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/16/22

Full Review

Audience Member

documentary-like depiction of one UN Interpreter's experience during the attack of the city and its evacuation of refugees. So immersive.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

Jon T

I am 67 years old and seen a lot of movies. This is the most harrowing of them because even if you knew nothing about the events in the film beforehand, you knew what was coming pretty much from the start. What is most disturbing is to see those who committed the most barbaric of human acts in a normal context, watching their grandchildren. By a quirk of fate l was able to identify what was happening in my life at the time depicted in the film. I thought l was having a bad time. Man, oh man. A couple of other thoughts. It's impossible to watch this and not think about what is happening in Ukraine. And you cannot escape dark thoughts about Serbs, Russia's only European allies. Nor l am afraid, can you not think about how ineffectual Dutch troops on the ground were. I know the political context of the UN was terrible but if l was Dutch l would feel shame. Oh and it's a great film.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/13/22

Full Review

Audience Member

well made anti-serbian propaganda

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

09/30/23

Full Review

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Jasmila Zbanic

Director

Jasna Đuričić

Aida Selmanagic

Izudin Bajrovic

Nihad

Boris Ler

Hamdija

Dino Bajrovic

Sejo

Johan Heldenbergh

Colonel Karremans

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Quo vadis, Aida?: Trailer 1

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David Stratton

The Australian

The achievement of Zbanic’s compelling, deeply moving film is to give faces and personalities to the victims. And towering above them all is the character of Aida as she tenaciously fights to save her men.

Rated: 4.5/5

Feb 23, 2022

Full Review

Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

It’s so harrowing that you have to remind yourself to breathe. But you won’t forget it, which is exactly the way Zbanic wants it.

Rated: 4.5/5

Feb 23, 2022

Full Review

A.A. Dowd

AV Club

banić supplies the material with an urgency familiar to the docudramas of Paul Greengrass, except with a strong current of despair and outrage that doesn't always poke through that filmmaker's meticulously detailed you-are-there accounts.

Dec 3, 2021

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Milana Vujkov

Lola On Film

Whoever lived in the chauvinist squalor that was the 1990s in the Balkans, a time when avenging ghosts and delusional violent men ravaged these lands, knows the truth when they see it. There may be many paths to it [...] But there is only one destination.

Rated: 5/5

Feb 25, 2024

Full Review

Ayelet Dekel

Midnight East

Suspenseful, taut, and deeply moving, Quo Vadis Aida? follows one woman over the course of a harrowing, fateful couple of days, as she tries to protect her family.

Aug 23, 2022

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

From the very first frame “Quo Vadis, Aida?” comes across as a deeply personal film. It has a lot it wants to say and more it wants to expose.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 17, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Bosnia, July 11th 1995. Aida is a translator for the United Nations in the small town of Srebrenica. When the Serbian army takes over the town, her family is among the thousands of citizens looking for shelter in the UN camp. As an insider to the negotiations Aida has access to crucial information that she needs to interpret. What is at the horizon for her family and people -- rescue or death? Which move should she take?

Director: Jasmila Zbanic
Executive Producer: Nedzad Cerkez Beredza, Mike Goodridge
Screenwriter: Jasmila Zbanic
Distributor: Super LTD
Production Co: Razor Film Produktion GmbH, Radiotelevizija Bosne i Hercegovine (BHRT), Digital Cube, Tordenfilm AS, Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF) [at], Indie Prod, Deblokada Produkcija, ZDF/Arte, Coop99 Filmproduktion, Extreme Emotions, TRT, N279 Entertainment
Genre: Drama, War
Original Language: Bosnian
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 5, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 15, 2021

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