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Sevdah for Karim (Sedvah za Karim, 2010) Director: Jasmin Durakovic Presentation: Sevdah for Karim is an exploration of one man’s search for peace in post-war Bosnia. Karim was the victim of a landmine that injured him and tore his family apart. Since then, he’s been de-mining the land around his town, searching for some kind of redemption in this dangerous and frequently unpaid job – all the while considering a move to Iraq where he would do the same job for more money. One night, Karim’s war buddy Juka is arrested. While Juka spends the night in jail, Karim – a faithful Muslim who believes in Shariah law - is enticed by Juka’s beautiful, socially liberated girlfriend, Ivana. When Karim is, inevitably, turned down for the Iraq job, and Juka finds out about his relationship with Ivana, Karim’s life begins to crumble. All of his questions about faith, morality, masculinity, and democracy seem to go unanswered. Finally, things reach a breaking point when Karim is thrust face-to-face with his conscience in a thrilling finale that will leave him forever changed. Sevdah for Karim is a moody and atmospheric film, focusing on the lost generation of post-war Bosnia. Director Durakovic draws great performances out of a talented cast, and his script, co-written with Asmir Kujovic, is not afraid to face the toughest social issues of the day. Synopsis: Karim (Amar Selimovic) is a failed philosophy student living in post-war Sarajevo. In order to provide for himself and his sister Džemila, he works in mine clearance. During the war, he became friends with a local troublemaker named Juka (Adnan Haskovic)who always seems to bring complications into Karim’s life, the latest of which is Ivana (Marija Karan), Juka’s girlfriend. The film begins with the three of them robbing a local mosque during Bajram festivities, their capers culminating in Juka causing an incident in the street and ending up in jail. Karim and Ivana go to a party, have a great time and end up at Juka's flat. Karim falls for Ivana, which leads to a fistfight with his old war buddy. Karim loses. Alone, with nothing left, Karim returns home to finally face up to his own dark past. |
