Snow
Snijeg | Bosnia and Herzegovina
Director: Aida Begic
Production company: Mamafilm
Eastern Bosnia, 1997. Six women, a grandfather, four girls and a young boy live in war ravaged and isolated village of Slavno. Their families and friends have been killed and their bodies have never been found. The first snow brings full isolation and risk for life in the village. It gets closer as villagers headed by Alma, a young stubborn woman who believes they can survive, tries to find their way out of poverty by selling plum jam and other fruits and vegetables their village is famous for on a deserted road.
Two businessmen visit Slavno demanding residents to leave the village offering money in return. Villagers face a dilemma: should they accept the offer that could save their lives, but destroy their souls. A sudden storm traps the businessmen in Slavno, forcing them to face a problem bigger than anything they expected – the truth! Aida Begic’s feature debut is a poetic, magical story about how life during peace easily can become more complicated then during war. The incredibly strong performance from the ensemble of actors is only one of the things that made Snow the winner of the Critic’s Week in Cannes, 2008.
Director Biography
Aida Begi? was born in Sarajevo in 1976. She graduated directing at Sarajevo Academy of Performing Arts in 2000. Her graduation film First Death Experience won numerous awards at festivals worldwide. In 2003 she directed The North Went Mad, a short partly financed by GIFF’s CineBosnia fund. Aida Begic's teaching directing at the Sarajevo Academy and has directed commercials, video spots and promotional films. In 2004 she founded the independent production company Mamafilm with her colleague Elma Tataragic. Snow is her first feature film.
“In doing research for the film, I spent a lot of time with village women who lost husbands and children. Unfortunately, about 10.000 men were killed in one day. I discovered that - despite this horror - these women are very jovial and strong people. I appreciate their strength, which inspired me.”
Aida Begic
