The High Representative to BiH Valentin Inzko sent his congratulations to BiH director Danis Tanović and the cast of the movie “Epizoda u životu berača željeza” (Episode in the Life of an Iron Picker) on winning the Grand Prix jury award (Silver Bear) at the 63rd annual film festival in Berlin.
The high representative also congratulated Nazif Mujić on winning the Silver Bear for best actor in the festival, protagonist in the real and movie story upon which the movie is based.
“Awarding two Silver Bear awards for a film by Danis Tanović at the prestigious Berlin film festival is another confirmation of what BiH actually is: a county in which a large number of talented people live. I am using this opportunity to congratulate all those who worked on this film. With this win, they are bringing back hope and optimism. The movie is another piece of proof of the assertion that art often imitates life”, said the High Representative.
Danis Tanović said that this film attracted the attention of the global public to one of the many problems that Roma people face, as well as other minorities in BiH whose rights are curtailed and with the Constitution of BiH, and which is confirmed with the ruling in the European Court of Human Rights of ”Sejdić-Finci”.
”This film sends another message. That is a message to people who are like Nazif Mujić, that is, ordinary citizens who gave their trust in BiH: that is why this country has to ensure equal rights for all. All its citizens have to be equal. Nazif and Senada have to be the last people to whom something like this happens in BiH. I thank Danis Tanović for his courage to tell this story. To tell the most pure story of humanity’’, said the High Representative.