Il cerchio perfetto

War torn Sarajevo and life turns into a game as you play dodge the bullets. Hamza, (Mustafa Nadarevic), is a poet with visions of his own death by hanging, a way to escape the misery that surrounds him. Until one night he stumbles upon two orphans who put a hold on his misery as he attempts to get them out of hell. War is ugly but those who suffer are the ones with a will for peace and harmony.

This brilliant film pictures accurately the cruelty and absurdity of a war that doesn't say its name. How can we stand still when we see the distress of innocent children (and adults are children too in that case) facing that, the big mute violence without sense. As a European viewer, I am also very shocked by the proximity of the facts, the decay of civilisation so close to Europe itself. By the way, what do we do exactly to help these people ?

Using a script written to the alimón by the poet Abdulah Sidran (When Papá goes on a trip, do you Remind Dolly Bell?) and does Kenovic, bring near us with a real lyricism and constuido evidencing the contrast with the crudeness of the reality, about the useless war in the old Yugoslavia.

Ademir Kenovic (MGM Sarajevo: Covjek, Bog, Monstrum -1994 - and Kuduz -89 -), its realizador, puts us of in front of the barbarism, in a sober narrative tone where you/they are not allowed to blackmail for anything, not even for the presence of two children amid a bloody war, to only transform it in a combination of fondness with the cruel reality that one lives, without easy tears neither excesses of blood, or constant approaches to wounded or mutilated members. About the useless war in the former Yugoslavia, they also exist Territory Comanche" (that was projected in Rooms Jorge Stahl the last year) and that it is in reportorial tone, The Look of Ulises and Undeground", but this of Kenovic is something special. It is the history of a poet, Hamza (Mustafa Nadarevic) who after having him lost everything -family and properties - it is given to the task of protecting two orphan children, Adis (Almedin Leleta) and the deaf-mute Kerim (Almir Podgorica) as well as to a wounded dog, and of looking for the aunt that is the only survivor of their family that could take care of them, but to look for it they have to pass big risks. Kenovic, besides showing with sobriety the drama, incrusts the black humor with Hamza who when losing everything, he/she hallucinates to see its wife and daughter (Jasna Diklic and Look at it Lambic) like part of that fear to what faces and of the one that wanted to escape it hallucinates to be commit suicide* being hung of a rope. In fact with their suicide in that way, it is like it begins the tape. It also highlights when showing us how in spite of the misfortune of the war that has hardly left anything in foot, some neighbors defend a tree so that it is not demolished, or the firemen that don't stop to fulfill their duty. The tape is valuable not only for its film work and to be filmed in the place of the facts, but also for its questions of the useless thing of the war, of the reason the intervention of the NATO, of the reason the world tolerates éso, as well as it questions to the blue helmets of the UN who pass a navidad like kings, while in the survivors' Sarajevo great part they have several days without eating. The work of Kenovic is more than a warning, is a call to the tolerance, to avoid to arrive to situations so lamentable and absurd as that of Sarajevo.

The performance of Mustafa Nadarevic (Gospa, Washed Out, The Way Home, Captain America, Evil Blood, History of Croacia, When dad is of Trip) it is very outstanding and realist.

Balkan cinema, often overlooked and undervalued by Western audiences and festivals, mirrors the West's historical disregard for the Balkans, particularly Bosnia. This unfortunate pattern of neglect extends to Ademir Kenovic's 1997 masterpiece, "Savrseni Krug" ("The Perfect Circle"), a profoundly underrated film that offers an intimate and unflinching look at the Bosnian genocide.

The film's power lies in its raw authenticity. The performances are unvarnished and naturalistic, drawing viewers into the lives of ordinary people caught in the maelstrom of war. The set design is meticulous, recreating the war-torn streets of Sarajevo with harrowing realism. And the cinematography is nothing short of breathtaking, capturing both the beauty and brutality of the conflict.

"The Perfect Circle" is more than just a war film. It's a poignant exploration of human resilience, compassion, and the enduring power of hope in the face of unimaginable suffering. The film's central character, Hamza, a poet struggling to survive in a besieged city, embodies the indomitable spirit of the Bosnian people. His unexpected bond with two orphaned boys, Adis and Kerim, is a testament to the enduring power of love and connection, even amidst the chaos of war.

The film's title, "The Perfect Circle," refers to Hamza's ability to draw perfect circles, a metaphor for his unwavering belief in the possibility of order and beauty, even in the midst of destruction. This unwavering optimism, however naive it may seem, is ultimately what sustains Hamza and the boys through their ordeal.

"The Perfect Circle" is a film that deserves to be seen and remembered. It's a powerful reminder of the human cost of war and the importance of bearing witness to the suffering of others. It's a film that challenges us to confront our own complacency and to never forget the lessons of history.

It's a slightly dramatized documentary, really. It's one of the tens of thousands of similar stories occured during '92-'96.

Shot right after the end of the longest siege on a capital in modern war history, which has become one of the best-known symbols of a large scale ethnic cleansing campaign, it doesn't need any decorations. What you see is what those people suffered through for 4 years, while the "big powers" of Europe, the ultimate defenders of human rights, have just watched the atrocity taking place right in the heart of the continent.