Romanian film wins Sarajevo festival

A Romanian black comedy about a divorced dad’s frustration and love for his five-year-old daughter, won the Heart of Sarajevo prize Saturday at the end of the nine-day festival. Toata Lumea Din Familia Noastra (“Everybody In Our Family”), directed by Radu Jude, won the best movie award at the 18th Sarajevo Film Festival, one of the largest in Europe, organizers said. Uliks Fehmiu won the best actor award for his performance in the Serbian movie “Ustanicka Ulica” (“Redemption Street”). And Marija Pikic won the best actress award for her role in Bosnia’s Aida Begic’s movie “Djeca” (“Children of Sarajevo”). U.S. superstar Angelina Jolie, whose recent directorial debut dealt with Bosnia’s 1992-1995 war, was a special guest of the festival earlier. During her stay in the Bosnian capital she was made an honorary citizen of Sarajevo for her efforts in “keeping the truth about wartime events in Sarajevo and Bosnia-Hercegovina alive”. The award is given by the Sarajevo county every year to a foreign national who promotes humanity, democracy and tolerance. Other films among the more than 200 screened at the event, included a documentary “Football Rebels,” narrated by French former football superstar turned actor Eric Cantona. It profiled five footballers -- Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba, Chile’s Carlos Caszely, Algerian Rachid Mekhloufi, Brazil’s Socrates, and Bosnian Predrag Pasic -- focusing on their humanitarian and social activities off the pitch. The film was directed by Gilles Perez and Gilles Rof. The Sarajevo film festival was born as an act of resistance during the 1992-1995 war when Sarajevo was under siege.