A 13-minute feature depicting the tense build-up to a massacre during the Yugoslav war in 1993 has just been nominated for an Academy Award in the best Live Action Short Film category.
The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent was directed by Zagreb-born Nebojša Slijepčević and co-produced by Zaprešić-based Antitalent. It is the first Croatian film to be nominated for an Oscar. The ceremony takes place on March 2.
“I'm overjoyed that we received the nomination, but it’s still a bit unreal,” said the 51-year-old director. “I'll probably only fully understand what we’ve done when we pack our bags for Los Angeles. Throughout this long Oscar campaign, the exceptional support of the entire film community has meant a lot to me. I especially want to thank all our filmmakers who cheered us on, talked about our film, shared clips and invited Academy voters to our screenings.”
Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent focuses on a heroic officer who intervenes on behalf of a young Bosniak in his compartment as a train is stopped by paramilitaries.
The retired soldier, an ethnic Croat, is then carted off to an unknown fate, along with 18 Bosniak civilians. The film explores themes of courage, compassion and brutality in a claustrophobic train corridor in a little-known corner of eastern Bosnia.