Quo Vadis, Aida?

This extraordinary dramatisation of the Bosnian War's 1995 Srebrenica massacre places a fictional family at its heart but speaks powerfully about real, earth-shattering events. Inspired by the experiences of survivor Hasan Nuhanovic, the film sees Jasna Djuricic's UN translator and schoolteacher Aida torn between her professional duties and securing the safety of her husband (Izudin Bajrovic) and two adult sons (Boris Ler and Dino Bajrovic). Her reason to be fearful is that troops led by General Ratko Mladic (an effectively repellent Boris Isakovic) have ripped through her home town, and are making their way toward the UN base. There, thousands have congregated in terror, under the protection of a small number of Dutchbat peacekeepers. Bosnian director Jasmila Zbanic shows real mastery of her medium as she keeps her gutsy leading lady in constant motion, and remains closely wedded to Aida's predicament. That leaves Djuricic with an awful lot to do, but the actress is more than up to the task, her astonishing performance gifting the film big emotional impact. Capturing both personal horrors and a broader sense of the mounting dread, Zbanic delivers a devastatingly humane drama with all the tension of a thriller.