Finding Bosnia
Director/DP/Editor
Finding Bosnia puts a human face on the aftermath of displacement and explores the experience of living between cultures. Join Ivana Horvat as she returns to her home country of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the first time since fleeing war in 1992. Home video footage, stories from various generations of Bosnians, and experiences with friends and family paint an authentic picture of this post-war, post-socialist country while highlighting the magnificent spirit of the Balkans. This feature length documentary had its world premiere at the Sarajevo Film Festival, won the “Rising Star” award at the Canada International Film Festival and was directed by Ivana and her best friend, Adrian Hopffgarten.
Genre: Documentary
Runtime: 90 Minutes
Directors: Ivana Horvat, Adrian Hopffgarten
Locations: Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, France, United States
“Incredible stuff and a true work of art. “
— Neno Brown, Bosnian Diaspora
Festivals
Sarajevo Film Festival
Official Selection August 2015 (Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina)
St. Louis International Film Festival
Official Selection November 2015 (St. Louis, CA)
NW Filmmakers Festival,
Official Selection November 2016 (Portland, CA)
Chicago Festival of Bosnian & Herzegovinian Film,
Official Selection March 2016 (Chicago, IL)
Canada International Film Festival,
Rising Star Award April 2016 (Vancouver, BC)
“A captivating look at what growing up removed from your history and family can mean for the formation of personal and cultural identity.”
- Kelly Mofit, St. Louis Public Radio
“Unlike the majority of films about Bosnia, I wanted Finding Bosnia to portray the country in a positive light. I wanted people to experience this beautiful and overlooked part of the world with me. ” - Ivana Horvat
“"Testing whether one can really go home again, Ivana Hovat - whose family fled their war-torn homeland of Bosnia in 1992 and settled as refugees in Oregon - returns to the Balkans with her mother to visit family and see whether she can truly reconnect with her native culture. Directed by Hovart and Adrian Hopffgarten, Finding Bosnia includes short animated segments on Bosnian history - including its role in the outbreak of World War I and amalgamation into Yugoslavia - but the film's emphasis is on the past two decades. The trip back to the Balkans was clearly fulfilling for Horvat, but this homespun personal documentary would likely prove engaging for others as well. Recommended.”
— Collective Eye Video Librarian
"Finding Bosnia entertained, moved and informed me. Many good movies accomplish one of the above; seldom do they do all three. Like many people, I did not know much about Bosnian history or the siege of Sarajevo. The way facts about these subjects were integrated into the movie was brilliant.”
— Diane Herschleb, Oregon Episcopal School
“An absolutely fantastic documentary film that brings to life emotions, feelings, facts, tradition, humor, and most importantly the mindset and values in and of life in Bosnia. A wholehearted, must-see recommendation for all who want to better understand their friends from Bosnia. Incredible stuff and a true work of art. “
— Neno Brown, Bosnian Diaspora
