There's a minefield out there.
- Do you hear?! - If we could go some other way...
Go on! Move it!
Stop staring at me! Stop it!
We're clearing the mine field, those shitheads...
That's their only way to break out from the encirclement.
Who is breaking out, from who's encirclement?!
Croats, from Serbian... it seems our boys have them surrounded.
What our boys?! I haven't surrounded anybody!
If you live, you can lodge a complaint in the newspapers.
I will have nothing to do with your shitty war!
Who are you talking to?
I don't wanna die!
I'm no Serb, I am an actor!
Stop shouting, you mule! As if we're not actors!
You kill actors!
You are blowing up people who wouldn't hurt a fly!
You blood-thirsty pieces of shit! Motherfuckers!
Fuck! The Chetniks!
Our guys!
What our guys?
Serbs...
Throw down your weapons! Quick!
Come on, hands up... Hands up!
On your knees! Put your hands behind your head!
Move it! Move it!
So, what brings you here?
Son, give us a strong drink so we can relax a little.
Yesterday I shot a guy because of that. No drinking here.
My Žaki! My Žaki!
The man I loved to watch in the role of Bugs Bunny when I was a child!
You made HIM clear the minefield?
Miško!
My Miško!
The man who killed countless Germans in the TV series, you motherfuckers!
Sonja...
You push among the mines the sex symbol of a generation?
If you kill all our bitches, whose photo are we supposed to jerk off to?!
Don't look up!
- Sorry, Sonja. - It's okay.
You, with the hat, come here.
He says he's not a Serb.
But he's not an actor either. Get over there!
- Slaviša, to the minefield. - Yes, sir!
So, what brought you here?
- Sir... - Yes, Miško?
Don't do it.
- Don't do what? - That...
Please.
Where do you think you are?
This is a war, not a movie set.
Please...
Please, don't do that to them.
Stop!
Hear me out.
At the request of the celebrated actors from Belgrade...
Your lives have been spared!
I need a volunteer.
You, come here.
On the behalf of your group...
You'll sing something for me. Is that alright?
All right? Here we go...
Hold me...
- Take the road... - I don't know the lyrics.
You see?
How can I spare their lives if he doesn't know the lyrics?
Those who don't know the lyrics... they walk!
Hold me...
Take the road...
Cowards take...
My wandering eyes Will follow you...
Female heart... Go! Go! Go!
Gentle as a swallow...
That dies from the pain...
Hold me...
Be a man just this once...
Don't lie to me...
If you go...
Don't ever look for me...
Go on...
Don't look back, don't look at me. Go! Go!
- I could always... ...see it coming.
Coward...
I didn't know you were such a...
Coward...
You sleep with me And lose sleep over another...
You're afraid to admit it...
Coward...
You're just another coward...
You think I'm that same little girl...
Anyone can lie to...
Thank you for the ride!
Djuro, my man!
- What's up? - Nothing much.
When can we leave?
- Where you goin'? - Back to Belgrade.
So, whenever you're ready, we can...
Me? You got to have a travel order.
What order? It was agreed, you bring us here, and take us back.
Yes, but I can't move without a travel order!
Who could give me that?
The commanding officer.
- That Colonel Gavro? - Him, or someone else. The army.
I said, if they don't send ammunition for the 53s and the tank 82s,
they can expect Turks in Belgrade!
We've been risking our asses here for two years!
And they're jerking off in the capital!
I have a special message for him.
When he sent us into this war, he promised us the world!
Now he gives us zilch!
- What do you want? - I am...
We agreed with Colonel Gavro.
There's no more Colonel Gavro here. He was dismissed!
Nevertheless, our group of theatre performers from Belgrade...
Wait... What did you say?
Theatre performers, actors... from Belgrade.
So what, if they're from Belgrade?
We're supposed to shit in our pants because you're from Belgrade?
We had a firm agreement with Colonel Gavro.
- It was about transport back to... - Listen to me, Belgrade.
Gavro may have used our fuel on all sorts of crap, but I will not.
People here have nothing to eat and he brings us scum of the earth.
Don't be like that, those are all legends of the acting scene.
- No way... you hear me? No! - But, they promised.
Out.
Scram!
Nothing.
- I'm going to talk to the guy. - Sonja, please!
- Anyone but you. - Why? What's wrong with me?
Nothing, just that maybe you're a little too...
Too what? Can you be a little more specific?
A little too sophisticated. What about me?
- Maybe he will listen to me? - You?
He can go if he wants to, but there's no chance.
Now what? We're going to stay here for the rest of our lives?
What do you people want from me?!
I am just an actor, like you!
How can I put some sense into the heads of all these maniacs?
Am I supposed to put a stop to this idiotic war?
How am I supposed to do that?
How?
Hey... that's Ljubić!
- Ljubić! - Who's that?
That writer who wrote...
"The Serbian Golgotha" or some similar piece of shit.
- A "great artist"! - Artist, my ass!
- I'll have nothing to do with him. - And I will?
I don't know, it's up to you.
- Hello. - Hello.
How long will this last? The bombing...
- It will be over any minute now. - Great.
Nice library.
They obtained some good books. Would you like to see them?
No, thank you. "They", you say?
- You're not from around here? - I'm from Knjaževac, Serbia.
And what are you doing in Srbobran? Is your husband from Srbobran or...
It's just that my son came here from Germany to fight.
He had a good job there, in Michelstadt.
When this all started, he enlisted as a volunteer, left his job.
I mean, if he's here, what would I do in Knjaževac? And so I got this job.
It's better to do something.
- Back home, were you also a librarian? - No.
I worked as a philosophy teacher in high school.
Where is your son?
He got killed this spring, near Derventa.
Would you like to take a book out?
Their positions...
My dear fellow artist! What a surprise.
Ready for your performance? Bravo!
Mr. Ljubić can arrange our transport with the local authorities.
He is staying here for purposes of collecting material for his new novel.
The title will be "Serbian Tragedy".
Long time no see, Žaki. You look altered. How are you?
I've seen better days.
Can you really help with our transportation?
But of course!
The General is a good friend of mine.
I'm so glad you're on our side, Sonja.
You are looking better than ever!
This is our young colleague, Jadranka Damjanović.
You can tell straight away she's got talent.
- I'm Lale. - I'm going with you to Belgrade.
For a meal at the Literary Club and back. What do you say?
- Great, I'll have the lamb tripe. - I won't have anything.
I'll have the grilled chicken breast.
- And at the end? At the end? - Custard pie!
We'll leave tomorrow.
What do you mean? Where will we sleep tonight?
No problem.
Danilo will take care of that.
He's the big "boss" in this town.
You're history! You're a dead man! Did you hear me?!
- Get down! - You're raising your fist at me?!
You don't know what you're doing, you idiot!
Nobody ties my soldiers to poles and shaves their heads. You hear?
'Cause you're all pussies!
You sit and drink while we defend your homes!
These boys bleed for three years. You're here three days, Belgrade boy!
And you already lecture them about courage?
You've got an hour to get to Drina! Is that clear?!
You know what you can do? You can grab my cock!
That's all you can do! Understand!?
Who gave you the right to kill POWs?
I exchange them for my fighters!
I exchange them too, you pussy! Corpse for corpse!
I'll get you now...
Go ahead, shoot, you shit!
Shoot, or throw it away!
- Is everything alright? - Exceptional, Danilo, exceptional.
These people are famous actors.
Danilo is the king here!
What will you eat?
- No, thanks, we're stuffed. - Out of the question!
I've got tripes, liver, pig balls, the best grilled meat in the area!
We really can't. And we're tired, too.
How about something sweet? Baklava? Tulumba?
You fight against the Muslims and eat Turkish sweets?
- What did you say? - Nothing.
We'd like to go to our rooms, if that's okay. We're dead tired.
- I'll have another bottle of red! - Bring two bottles of red.
You have to try my homemade brandy.
Forty-two degrees, specialty of the house.
We really should rest a little.
- We had such an... - Such an exciting tour!
I'm not going to sleep! I want to drink!
- Bravo, Žaki! - Excuse me, just for a moment.
He owns everything in Srbobran.
This hotel, the grocery store, another restaurant...
The gas station... incredible.
- He saved every dinar... - Lale!
I like him. He's great!
You like anyone who buys you a drink! Oh, go ahead and die, see if I care!
And now, please... silence in the atmosphere.
Resolve the conflict in the swimming pool, please.
With us here tonight are artists from the Serbian entertainment industry.
Among them is the famous poet, Mr Ljubić!
He performed in the newspapers, television, and he is from Belgrade!
Please.
Thank you.
I'm not really good with these.
Our dear... artists.
Brothers in arms!
You have come on this long journey.
You have left your comfortable homes.
You have exposed your lives to danger.
- Why? - I ask myself the same question.
Because real Serbian blood flows through your veins!
Blood that cannot remain cold before your brothers' pain and suffering!
- I'm going to vomit, I swear! - What are you going to do?
The raft is swaying, it makes him sick.
You, too, feel that our Serbian brother is in need of help, now!
Right now!
When his home is in flames!
Right now!
When his only child is in the woods with a gun in his hand!
Right now! When his offspring have no bread to eat!
But how can we, artists, help him?
With words?
Do words have any meaning?
Can words be of help to anyone during these horrific times?!
Yes, they can.
Yes, they can, indeed!
Just one kind word from your fellow man!
It can mean more than a can of stew!
More than a pack of cigarettes!
More than a pair of woollen socks!
It can be worth more than diapers!
And even more valuable than water!
- My sweet Sonja... - What do you want?
What's this on my forehead?
I don't know, and I don't care.
Who did this to me?
- Let me sleep. - Sonja...
Do you have some ice for this?
Žaki, if you could only see yourself.
Do you even realize what you have turned into?
Sonja, don't be angry with me. Your Žaki loves you.
Leave me alone!
Žaki, what are you doing here? You need something?
Do you have some ice? I hit my forehead.
I got a bump here.
It's nothing, Žaki! Are you OK?
We just glue it here...
- Woman, bring some sweets! - And some ice, please.
Whiskey?
No, just ice. Or maybe, just a drop of whiskey.
- Woman, whiskey! - And some ice.
Take it easy, Žaki.
Pick that up.
How about a bite to eat?
- I only stopped by. - Arrange some cold cuts!
Who's this?
- My wife. - Your wife? Yeah, right!
She really is my wife.
If I were you, I would exchange her for two eighteen-year-olds.
Let's not go there.
Tell me something...
Why do you, peasants, like women with moustaches?
Let it go, Žaki. Just have your drink.
And with hairy legs... could you please explain that phenomenon to me?
- Don't talk like that, Žaki. - No, really. Does that turn you on?
Get out.
Now it's really enough, you fucker.
You think you're special, just because you monkey around for a few pennies.
Monkey around? What are you talking about?
I'm talking about you, you piece of shit.
You think you're a big shot, because people recognize you on the street.
- Because you're on TV. - Ma'am, what does this guy want?
I can rent people like you by the dozen!
Like a rent-a-car!
To dance in my house, to act in my bathroom while I take a dump!
I am not rentable! I am...
You are my dick! An ordinary cock!
No, you are my dick.
- Is that so? - You bet!
- Is that what you said?! - I said that you are...
My huge... remarkably exciting... dick.
I let you into my home, Žaki, in the middle of the night!
"Danilo, I want whiskey" I give you whiskey.
"I want to eat, Danilo" I give you food!
"I want ice..." You want ice, Žaki?
Here's ice! Here's the food! Here's the whiskey!
Here's more food! Fuck it all! Get out of my house!
You think you can fuck around with me!
- What's wrong with you? - What, what's wrong with me?!
- I was just kidding... - In my own home!
Fuck you, and your Shakespeare! Let me go!
Let me go! I'll show him!
He's just an actor. A tiny bug, smaller than a child's fingernail.
Anyone can squash him.
Remove him from the face of the earth, and be left unpunished.
You don't need to threaten him, let alone beat him.
All you need to tell him is "Hey, you over there! You don't have a clue".
And he will collapse like a tower of cards.
Fuck you, all. I don't want you in my premises.
Just as I had fallen asleep.
This really is too much. You, Stanislav, are a blooming idiot!
Why me?
Who takes care of the hotels, who's the tour manager?
- Žaki screwed everything up! - Who? Me?
Unlike the rest of you, I have my pride!
I will not be insulted by every scoundrel that comes along!
Looks like Djuro's not there.
He's sleeping. The windows are steamy.
- Mr. Djuro, will you please... - What is it?
We're going to Belgrade tomorrow with you and Mister Ljubić.
- Yeah, so? - How can I put this...
- We don't have a place to sleep. - What am I supposed to do about it?
To let us into your van, that's what! Or we're gonna freeze to death!
Why don't you say so, man? Hop in!
Wednesday, December 15, 1993
Muslims.
- The ones that are tied up? - Yes.
- Who are the guards? - Also Muslims.
I don't get it.
The ones that are tied up are Babo's.
- Whose? - The prisoners are from Kladuša.
The guards are fighting against them, they are from Tuzla and Bihać.
What are they doing here?
Our side is letting them kill each other off! They don't get involved.
Why are these Muslims doing this to other Muslims?
Narcissism of small differences.
What?
Sigmund Freud.
Maybe we should get going.
- I can't go without a travel order! - Who's got that fucking order?
- The Artist. - Who?
- Who's the most prominent artist here? - I don't have the order.
- Ljubić? - Exactly.
Who knows where that idiot is now.
At the front lines. He has that... literary... evening.
- At seven in the morning! - Listen...
All I know is that tomorrow I have to transport two boxes of Baltic.
Baltic means that Ljubić has a literary evening.
- What's a Baltic? - Vodka, my dear.
Baltic vodka.
There is a feast in the Serbian household.
The Serbian hero is the host.
A true celebration!
Pure honesty shines like beams in a topaz.
It is like a spark in the mirror.
The soul is filled with happiness!
Like a spring in the open sea!
Like champagne in crystal.
Here, Serbian is thought and spoken!
Here, Serbs proudly sing.
Not all of it is of the earth, but there is something from above!
It ignites this celebration with its heavenly rays!
Did you notice the audience's reaction?
That's because a fighter likes to hear what the poet has to say.
He is uplifted by his words, inspired.
- Did you write this? - Yes.
What? That's Njegoš!
My friend read that for our diction exam!
I fixed it a little, adapted it.
- You really fixed it. - Yes.
Thanks for coming. I have to go now.
- We're going, too. - Wait!
- Ljubić, what about us? - You want to go to Derventa with me?
Derventa? You said we were going to Belgrade.
I have a performance on the front lines.
The situation there is grave, they need my support.
- And Literary Club? Custard cakes? - Custard pies.
Derventa is practically on the way.
We go there, support the fighters, and then for the custard pie.
How about that? Great!
Ljubić, please, let's go.
It's obvious there will be no literary evening.
We really can't go any further.
If we could only deliver them the vodka.
How many bottles of Baltic do we have?
Two boxes.
At least that, since I can't...
- Let's get out, while we can! - No way!
We deliver the vodka or we don't go anywhere.
- I'll take the Baltic. But we go now. - Are you crazy?!
- What's he doing? - Removing the antennas.
- Whose mines are those? - Ours.
He has to disarm the mines, so we could go further.
We don't have the key, so he has to do it the hard way.
- What do you mean?! - It's simple.
He unscrews it from above and pulls out the pin.
It's crucial he pulls it vertically. Get it?
- I get it. - Yeah, I bet. Look.
What fucking idiot put an AP next to the anti-tank mines?
Mile! Is it bad?!
It's bad!
I hate losing a man this way! Medics!
Call the medics!
Hello! Can you hear me? Grujić bought an AP!
Send me a medic! Now! Do you hear me?! Now!!
Hold on, Mile! I'm coming!
Cover me!
Mile, hang on! The medics are coming.
Commo! Where's the med...
He's dead.
He's dead!
You know what I had realized here, on the field, among soldiers?
No, what?
That we cannot lose this war.
- Do you know why? - I don't.
Because God is with us!
The entire world, America, Germany, France, is conspiring against us.
Only God is not! He has been on our side the whole time!
Really?
Could you please explain that to us? I'm really interested.
How come the entire world is against us, yet only God loves us?
It's very simple, young man. The Serbs are a holy nation.
- What are Serbs!? - Holy nation.
By the will of God, they came here.
The Serbs came here with the rest of the Slavs.
That's incorrect.
- Firstly, the Serbs are not Slavs. - Then who are they?
Let me explain.
In Sanskrit, "Sora" means sky, the heavenly arch.
"Sorbs" is the ancient name for Serbs.
They have apparently come to our planet from another place.
It is not known exactly from where.
But it is clear that they were sent on a special mission.
- You don't actually believe that? - Of course, I do!
- They kept it a secret! - Sonja, take it easy.
The CIA was immediately informed about the scientific discovery.
The ruins of Mycenae reveal the evidence.
Are you out of your mind?!
Or you who talk crap about the "heavenly Serbs" are, in fact, scum!
You do it only for the money!
Please, young man, what I do has nothing to do with money!
I love my nation from the bottom of my heart.
You people created this war, you idiots!
You poison the masses with this Nazi crap!
You drive tens of thousands of young people to their deaths!
You profit, but what makes it worse, you believe in all that crap!
Yet you still chose to sit in your cozy homes or in some remote hide-out!
While boys vanish off the face of the earth! Fucking Fascist bastard!
- Mind your manners, please. - My manners?!
- How about your manners, you fuck?! - Don't!
You, fascist pig!
- Miško, don't! Lale, please, don't! - Motherfucker!
People, stop it!
Djuro, what's wrong?
- Did the van brake down? - We've strayed from the corridor.
- We're lost. - What do you mean?
- You mean, we can't... - Be quiet.
- Be quiet! - It's nothing.
Why are you all...
- I'll be damned, there's pussy here! - What do we do?
- This is a gift directly from Allah.
Sir, let me explain...
You're as pretty... as a picture.
You know, we are actors.
Maybe you have seen the TV series "Circus in the House"...
Živorad Kutlešić plays there and missus...
- Sonja Hermann Kutlešić... - Just Hermann.
And myself... Miško.
Officer, I kindly ask that you behave in accordance with... you know...
Are you that... writer?
Yes, he's a writer.
- The one that... - I wrote "When Spring Comes Too Late".
- Then, "Ripple of Thought"... - I don't give a fuck about that!
- But, were you on TV? - I was.
I am a regular guest in the programs like "Prose"...
- In "Midnight Nocturne" I... - Not that.
- But, when it started. - Who started?
- What? - The fucking war!
- Did you call for ethnic cleansing? - Me, call for ethnic cleansing?
- That must be a mistake, I never... - Yes, you did.
I watched you on television.
At that rally in Bjeljina.
When you said that all us Muslims should be...
That was him, wasn't it?
No, you must be mistaken.
No, it's true, you're...
Ljubić. Are you... Ljubić?
I'm not.
Yes, you are.
Get out.
Get out, all of you!
Let me... explain!
I've nothing to do with it... I don't know where these books came from!
Look at the photograph: it's not me, it's someone younger!
Anyone can see that.
Wait! Explain to them it's not me!
Explain to this gentleman that it's not me!
I am someone completely different!
Miško, please... people, wait... Don't, please!
Please, wait!
My dear ones... my dear ones!
Do you know...
How much we used to love you?
And all that Belgrade talk?
"Fuckin' this, fuckin' that..."
If you only knew how much the Sarajevo crowd loved you.
And you...
Which team do you think I rooted for?
For a Sarajevo team?
No, man!
For Belgrade "Red Star".
I went for the games in Belgrade.
I even went to Bari, for the European Cup final.
And you...
You were my idol.
Oh, yes, you bet you were.
I used to think you can do anything.
I would've given you my sister, if you asked.
And my bike... and my dog.
Take it all, big man... it's yours.
Listen, mother... hear my thoughts.
I am resolved to die.
This I fain would do with honour.
Dismissing from me...
...what is mean.
Turn thy thoughts, and with me weigh how well I speak.
To me the whole of mighty Hellas looks.
On me the passage o'er the sea depends.
On me the sack of Troy!
And may Helen be punished, and Paris too!
It lies to check henceforth barbarian raids to seize our daughters!
All this deliverance will my death insure.
And my fame for setting Hellas free will be a happy one!
Thou didst not bear me for myself alone,
but as a public blessing to all Hellas.
I have no right at all to cling too fondly to my life!
Now turn we to that other point.
It is not right that this man should enter the lists fox a woman's sake.
Or that he could be slain.
Better a single man should see the light, than ten thousand women!
If Artemis is minded to take this body...
Am I, a weak mortal, to thwart the goddess?
Nay... that were impossible.
To Hellas I resign it.
I offer this sacrifice...
And make an utter end of Troy.
This is my enduring monument.
My motherhood.
My honour.
And my fame!
It is but right, mother, that Hellenes should rule barbarians!
But not barbarians Hellenes, those being slaves, while these are free!
Get out of here.
You're free to go.
What will happen to Ljubić?
Maybe they'll put him on trial.
Yeah, I bet...
He'll be released after a fair trial.
Really? You think nothing will happen to him?
Who has shown any mercy around here?!
Who?
There is no such thing here.
To listen to a man, to try to understand him, to forgive him!
Here, it's immediately a knife at your throat!
That's Bosnia! Fucking Bosnia...
Djuro, do you have a place to stay?
No need. I'm going back immediately.
- At night? - I'll drive slowly. No problem.
- Take a rest before that. - I'll be honest with you.
I don't really like Belgrade much.
- My folks wait for me over there. - Suit yourself.
Have a safe trip back, and thank you for everything!
Good luck! Thanks!
Where were you at rehearsal yesterday?
We... what was yesterday?
Tuesday, and the day before was Monday, when we had the day off.
Yesterday, we rehearsed scenes nine and ten.
I was... I...
- It's written all over your face! - What?
That, on your forehead. What is it? You hit the "door"?
- What's this on my head? - A bump.
- How did I get a bump? - To be in your shoes, Žaki.
- Who did this to me? - Did something happen?
- Nothing happened. - You seem a bit...
- Everything's all right! - If you say so.
Tomorrow we've go through the "Prosecution".
Starting with Scene One. Good night!
- Good night. - Good night.
I'm off.
- Is there anything to eat? - The canteen is closed.
There's food on stage, though.
Props. Left over from "The Minister's Wife".
No problem. You go on.
"The Minister's Wife" has been cancelled. Darko's sick.
His appendix, or something.
And we had a full house. Terrible!
- Thanks! - Good night!
- Good night. - Good night.
Who is... Darko's substitute for this play?
If it's his appendix, that can last for 15, maybe 20 days.
I know Čeda's role by heart.
I played him in Šabac.
So, I'm available if they need anyone.
You mean...
No problem, Stanislav.
All right.
I'll be off, then... Jadranka!
I'm... staying.
I see.
No problem.
I have to catch the night bus to New Belgrade.
And don't forget what I said about Čeda.
If they need anyone.
Don't worry, Stanislav, we'll all be pushing for you.
Thank you.
Bye!
Dedicated to OLIVERA and RADE MARKOVIĆ
Subtitles by LeapinLar