On the 22nd of November, the Yugoslavia Tribunal pronounces its judgement in the Mladić-case. On this afternoon, we screen the award winning documentary The Siege for a second time, due to the great interest. This film masterfully captures the daily experiences of the residents of Sarajevo during the siege of their city. After the film, we talk with the director and war correspondent Rémy Ourdan.

Former commander Ratko Mladić is accused, among others, of establishing and carrying out a campaign of terror against the civilian population of Sarajevo during the siege. The siege of Sarajevo, lasting from 1992 to 1996, was the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Utilising rarely seen archive footage, poignant interviews and astounding photography, The Seige presents a multi-layered and personal account of a vertiginous descent into war. As the city’s residents recall memories of everyday life under the blockade, history interweaves with personal testimony to create a humanising portrait of battle and resistance. For Sarajevans, their resistance was as much political, intellectual and artistic as it was military.

About the speaker

Rémy Ourdan. Author and co-director of the film The Siege (2016). Rémy is a journalist and war correspondent for Le Monde newspaper. As a reporter, he began in 1992 in Sarajevo under siege and covered conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Rwanda, Congo, Eritrea-Ethiopia, Serbia-Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Macedonia, Israel-Palestine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Mexico, Libya, Central African Republic. He lived in Sarajevo and Baghdad. He also covers post-war, human rights and international criminal justice issues, and is working on international jihad. Remy Ourdan is the president of the WARM Foundation for Contemporary Conflicts, located in Sarajevo.

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