AN EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF AN IRON PICKER

The 19th Sarajevo Film Festival opened today, Friday, August 16, 2013, (thru August 24, 2013) with a ceremony at the National Theatre hosted by Bosnian-Herzegovinian actress Marija Pikić. The ceremony was followed by a screening of AN EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF AN IRON PICKER by the Bosnian-Herzegovinian director Danis Tanović. This latest film by Danis Tanović won the Silver Bear at the 63rd International Film Festival in Berlin. The film’s protagonist Nazif Mujić also received a Silver Bear. In addition to the two official awards, the film received a special mention by the Ecumenical Jury.

AN EPISODE IN THE LIFE OF AN IRON PICKER is based on a true story and it deals with alienation and discrimination in contemporary Bosnian-Herzegovinian society. The film follows Nazif, who supports his family by gathering scrap metal. After his wife Senada is denied emergency treatment for a miscarriage, Nazif is ready to do everything in his power to save her life—desperately gathering more scrap metal and asking for help from non governmental and state institutions. In the following ten days, Nazif and Senada are fully exposed to the callousness of contemporary society.