Turkish co-production gets nod for British film award

By Salih Serif

ISTANBUL (AA) – A Turkish film co-production about the 1995 Srebrenica genocide has gotten two nominations in Britain’s BAFTA awards, the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT) announced Thursday.

Jasmila Zbanic was nominated for Best Director, and her film Quo Vadis Aida? was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 74th BAFTAs, set to be handed out by the British Academy of Cinema and Television Arts on April 11.

Quo Vadis, Aida? (Where are you going, Aida?) takes place at a UN base in the city of Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the days of the genocide when thousands of Bosnians, including women and children, were killed by Serb forces.

In the film, Bosnian-born Zbanic uses powerful cinematic language to follow the impact of the Bosnian war on its victims and witnesses, especially women and children.

Quo Vadis, Aida? is also on the shortlist for Best International Film at the 2021 Academy Awards, and was previously shown at the Venice and Toronto film festivals.

Out of 93 entries for the Best International Film Oscars, the film advanced to the top 15 shortlist, said TRT.

Besides Turkish national broadcaster TRT, other co-producers include Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Romania, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, France, and Norway.

*Writing by Havva Kara Aydin