L'été dans la vallée d'or

I read other reviews on this film, I saw that people liked this film, but for some reason I did not.

First of all, I think that plot is not that realistic even for Sarajevo of those times. These things do not really happen in a small city like Sarajevo for a long period of time. I think that such a plot would of been foiled within a half of a day in Sarajevo.

Acting is very good, most of these actors are actors with many awards from various film festivals, and I think if Bosnia was the USA they would be very popular actors with many Hollywood roles.

Directing is excellent and it resembles action films made with a high budget. I hope that director Vuletic gets opportunity to direct in the future.

"Ljeto u zlatnoj dolini" or 'Summer in the Golden Valley' as it is called in English is a very dark and grim movie. It certainly isn't a feel-good movie, but the story that it tells feels very authentic and realistic.

It's about a teenage boy Fikret, who lives in post-war Sarajevo, where drugs, crime and corruption are the most important parts of life. He sniffs glue to escape from reality and all he really wants is to step on one of the airplanes that fly over the city, so he can fly away to a better world. His family has a hard time making a living and his father has just died. A man comes to the funeral and says that the father owed him a lot of money and that he wants it back. Because they don't have any money, the son will have to do some crimes... Than a corrupt cop asks him to help with the kidnapping of a girl, the daughter of some very rich people. If he and a friend hide the girl and take care of her, they will receive a lot of money. At first all they want is the money, but gradually Fikret falls in love with her...

As I already said, this story will not really make you feel good, but that certainly doesn't mean this isn't a good movie. OK, it isn't really a masterpiece, but the actors did a fine job, the story is very good and believable and the way everything was shot is more than just OK. This movie is really something for you when you are interested in very realistic and far from corny dramas. Also when you are interested in how life in the Balkan now is, this may be the movie for you to watch. Personally I liked what I saw and I give it a 7.5/10

The film is really very good as it brings local actors and presents a crude reality of Sarajevo. It shows a city that still suffers the harmful effects of a recent war. Several ingredients are present to prove this:police corruption, kidnappings,urban violence, drug consumption and lack of perspectives. The film unveils all these elements in a very meaningful way through a boy who needs to dignify his family traditions and honour his father. The city landscape is also shown in the film and this makes it more interesting as people will be able to observe Sarajevo. The big question that the film presents is: how to survive/live in such an environment,dominated by post war scarfs,secular tradition and brand new western influences?

The movie is a poor attempt to place the chaos, anarchy and hopelessness that perhaps is a day-life in Belgrade into the streets of Sarajevo. True Bosnians (of all religions!) are people with unprecedented moral, faith sense of humor and optimism that helped them survive the years of siege and continuous murders by Serbian destructor from the surrounding mountains. Don't get fooled, this movie does NOT reflect the Bosnian reality! In my view this is a nicely packed, well hidden cuckoo's egg from the pro-Serbian propaganda. What a waste of time and money, considering the limited number of Bosnian movies produced annually. If you want true picture of post-war Bosnia, watch Well Tempered Corpses. But I challenge the film artist's courage to tell the true stories of people's tragedy and suffering during the years of aggression. Use historic facts, such as genocide in Srebrenica, concentration camps in Dretelj, Omarska, to name a few, as a base for your stories, not some imaginary and besides utterly wrong scenarios that fit with the perceived state of despair in a post-war society.

This movie shows real experience of post war city and country. It not only shows problems and irony typical to such city, but also some generic problems in life. Poverty, hope, love, trust and betrayal, faith, effort... It has really all in one. Also funny and cool action of police and mafia. Filthy language which is funny and real for such place in real life too. Hot girls, good actors, good smaller typical things of the society who lives at the bottom (in poverty and problems). I am amazed, touched by emotions, and easily recognize all such lifestyles even today, in same place, and this is funny and sad at the same time. No fake stuff.