Winner Screening: Cirkus Columbia

Sunday - 09/04/2011
8:30 PM - Filmrauschpalast 
Award Ceremony & Closing Screening

Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1991. The communists have fallen from power and Divko Buntic returns to the small town where he grew up to reclaim his family home. After a 20-year exile in Germany, Divko arrives in his flashy red Mercedes with sexy young girlfriend Azra, lucky black cat Bonny and a pocketful of Deutschmarks.
Cash and cousin Ivanda, the recently inducted “democratic” mayor, help Divko forcefully evict estranged wife Lucija and 20-year-old son Martin. Lucky to not have been jailed after their eviction skirmish with the police, Martin and Lucija are moved into a small dilapidated municipal apartment.
Once settled in the comfort of his old house, Divko tries to reach out to Martin, the son he never knew. He offers Martin an invitation to live with him and his soon-to-be new wife Azra. When Lucija finds out, she is furious and fearful that she’ll lose her son to his father. Martin reassures his mother, but the young CB radio enthusiast continues to secretly visit his father’s home to use the equipment he left behind.
When Divko’s beloved cat Bonny disappears, the whole town joins in a frantic search to get the cash reward. The daily hunt for the missing cat strains Divko’s fragile relationship with Azra. It also opens up an unexpected but strong attraction between Azra and Martin.
Busy fretting over everyday concerns, most of the townsfolk seem to disregard the rumbling political unrest: Croatia has seceded, all Yugoslavs are being forced to take sides, and the Serbs begin bombing Dubrovnik. Although the area is on high alert, many still can’t imagine anyone or anything could divide Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Martin and his mother have life-long friends in both former communist mayor Leon and Yugoslav Army captain Savo. But Martin is soon shocked to discover how quickly friends can become enemies when his childhood buddy Pivac joins a pro-Croatian paramilitary group. As clouds of war gather, deep feelings and loyalty will be tested by the hardest decision of all: to stay or to leave…