One of the most disturbing dramatisations of war you are likely to come across. It tells the story of Aida Selmanagić, a Serbian UN translator caught up in the massacre of Srebrenica massacre. It is an utterly, relentlessly harrowing account of the treatment of civilians and the impotence of the United Nations, an organisation that utterly failed those whom it was sent in to protect. A no holds barred account, taken from a civilian woman whose only crime was trying to protect her husband and sons. Only 50 years after the end of World War 2, the world witnessed a second Holocaust. And did nothing. It is incomprehensible to imagine what humans can do to other humans. If history teaches us anything, it is that we never learn. "Quo Vadis, Aida?" is very upsetting but I urge you to watch it.

Moving, human, hard to watch but overall very bold, "Quo Vadis, Aida?" not only serves as a historical document of one of the darkest chapters in recent European history but also as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in dark times that seems to speak to our times more than anything. One of the best international films of the 2020s.

One of the best movies I have seen. Utterly engaging and puts you right in the middle of Aida trying to save her family. I'll never forget this movie.

Incredibly tense and stirring film about the 1995 Srebrenica massacre during the Bosnian War. You are right there with Aida as she desperately tries to save her family from the Serbian soldiers. Jasna Đuričić is brilliant as Aida. Why wasn’t she nominated for Best Actress? I have a soft spot for films about the Bosnian War, having lived there, known people that lived through it, heard the disdain they have for the toothless UN whose “peacekeepers” they watched stand by as atrocities took place right in front of them. Gets my pick for Best International Feature Film of 2021.

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.

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.

"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+)

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

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.

well made anti-serbian propaganda

"As a fictionalised account of what was once described as the worst European genocide in the post-war period, Quo Vadis, Aida? is wrenching and vital in its bitter grief. As a study of political and diplomatic inertia in the face of contemporary global human tragedies, it could not be more urgent." - C. Machell, cine-vue.com … made even more urgent amidst the Russian war against Ukraine! The indifference masked as collaborative action is startling, and so weak. It continues to cost lives To my mind, I've seen only one other wartime film as harrowing, stark and shocking as QVA, and that is Schindler's List. Of a different era, telling of a different genocide, it is as impactive, and sadly shows a number of similarities to WWII An incredibly powerful and sombre movie, filled with emotional performances, and overseen by a masterful Director. Incredible!

A great film, very much needed. Greatly written and filmed, wonderful cast, very moving, what an impressive editing :)

Probably the most powerful film I have ever seen. The direction, performances, and soundscape are all superb, to the point where I am amazed that they didn't get Oscar nominations in all three categories. It's pretty heavy going emotionally but ultimately rewarding, I cannot recommend this film highly enough. See it if you can.

Important, and a masterpiece.

Gripping true-life story, with outstanding acting and an unforgettable ending.

Very moving film. The desperation of the city's inhabitants and the fanatical hatred of the Serb forces to who had been their Muslim countrymen is excellently portrayed. It is impossible not to be moved by this film.

Incredibly powerful movie telling an incredibly tragic story.

Quo Vadis, Aida? is a masterful film, a film of sweeping emotions and dense humanity. Set in 1995 Bosnia it's historical fiction with characters weaved in with the tragic and awful Srebrenica massacre. Central to the film is Aida, a teacher who has been co opted to be an interpreter for the UN. The film begins with Serbian forces laying siege to Srebrenica forcing the citizens to flee to the nearby UN base. Sadly the base can only take so many people with the rest stranded outside fearing for their lives. Aida's husband and two sons are among the stranded. All of this leads to a tense standoff between the UN and the Serbian forces led by General Mladic. This incredibly impressive film manages to weave together the strategies of war and diplomacy with the overwhelming human story of Aida's family and the besieged Bosnians. It's a tense ride as each second is filled with impending doom. Jasna Duricic is superb in the lead role, her character is filled with integrity, intelligence and bravery. This was an awful period in human history and this important film brings it lucidly to light.

This was the first film I'd visited the cinema to see on my own (the best and blissful way) in a very long time, and I'll make no bones about it, Quo Vadis Aida is quite possibly the best film I've seen so far this year. That's certainly not to say it's an easy watch, there are moments in the film where you can barely look at the screen, and much of that is down to the true story at the heart of the film. Set mainly over the course of a few days in 1995, Aida (a staggering performance by Jasna Đuričić) is a translator for the UN in the small town of Srebrenica, in Bosnia. Despite promises from the UN to protect the town amidst an approaching Serbian army invasion, their assurances are backed up by a horrible no show as the invasion begins, and the town is forced to flee, a small percentage of them managing to take refuge in the UN camp on the edge of the town, until the camp closes its doors; restricting the remainder of the town to remain outside the camp's gates. This in itself is harrowing, but Aida has more problems than rushing about translating between the townspeople and UN soldiers; her husband and two boys are somewhere amongst the thousands of homeless Srebrenicans. She repeatedly tries to barter for their safety, and then as things take a nasty turn, their escape. We are left in no doubt of Aida's priority, it's a truly breathtaking portrayal by Đuričić, the performance equally as powerful when she's not front and centre. What makes the film so disturbing is that through Aida, we appreciate and feel what all the families in Srebrenica were going through. The Serbian forces, led by the lunatic General Mladic, offer a way out for all the people after a hastily arranged negotiation between himself and three wildly unqualified Srebrenicans, including Aida's husband. The elation of the townspeople when it seems Mladic has offered a way out is palpable; it seems inevitable all won't go to plan for them. Quo Vaids Aida is beautifully shot, you feel like you're right there with the unfortunate habitants of Srebrenica, feeling the claustrophobia and stench of the camp. It's far from an easy watch, but it's a topic that really should be addressed more, especially to younger generations who seem to know less and less about the real world. The fact that this sort of thing (without trying to give too much away) goes on today and we know little about it, makes the film even more hard hitting, twenty six odd years on. The final quarter of the film is a masterpiece in emotional grief, acceptance, and an astonishing grit; the film is hard to pin down as a genre, and the final twenty minutes or so toughen an attempt to do so. I left the screening in tatters, returning to my car, only to switch on the radio and hear that the country was crying about a tweet that a teenager had written nine years ago, and as a result should apparently have his promising career stripped from him. After watching Quo Vadis Aida, and seeing what some of the real world has to deal with, this particular news left a disgusting taste.

The Movie is really nice ~ And As for personal perspective after watching this film and another film Hotel Rwanda, Feels that UN pretty much do nothing to help the people, which is very sad and realistic Aida, is trying her best to save her family, but UN have no choice and follow their rules, and sadly Aida can't save their family