Jasmila Žbanić (, ; born 19 December 1974) is a Bosnian film director, screenwriter and producer. She has received numerous accolades, including nominations for the Academy Award and two BAFTA Awards. Žbanić has also won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival and has been nominated for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.
She is known for writing and directing the 2020 war drama film Quo Vadis, Aida?, which earned her nominations for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language and the BAFTA Award for Best Direction.
Early life Žbanić was born in Sarajevo on 19 December 1974 into a Bosniak family. Žbanić went to local schools before attending the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo, where she got a degree. She worked for a time in the United States as a puppeteer in the Vermont-based Bread and Puppet Theater and as a clown in a Lee De Long workshop. In 1997, she founded the artist's association "Deblokada" alongside her husband Damir Ibrahimović, and started making documentaries and short films.
Career
After her return to Bosnia and Herzegovina, she founded the artists' association "Deblokada" (meaning "de-blocking.") Through Deblokada, Žbanić wrote and produced many documentaries, video artworks, and short films. Her work has been seen around the globe, screened in film festivals and shown at exhibitions such as the Manifesta 3 in Slovenia in 2000, the Kunsthalle Fridericianum in Kassel in 2004, and the Istanbul Biennale in 2003. Since then she has made well-received feature films.
Her 2006 feature film Grbavica, won the Golden Bear at the 56th Berlin International Film Festival, the Grand Jury Prize at the International Feature Competition Festival in 2006, and was awarded the Best European Film and best European actress award in 2006. Her 2010 film Na putu (On the Path), which explores the relationship of a young couple living in Sarajevo, was screened at the 60th Berlin International Film Festival.
Žbanić's 2020 war drama film Quo Vadis, Aida? won the Audience Award at the 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam, the Best International Film Award at the 2021 Gothenburg Film Festival, entered into the 77th Venice International Film Festival and also won the Best International Film Award at the 36th Independent Spirit Awards. Further more, in March 2021, the film was nominated for Best Film Not in the English Language and Žbanić was nominated for Best Director at the 74th British Academy Film Awards. On 15 March 2021, Žbanić's film was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards. At the 34th European Film Awards held in December 2021, Quo Vadis, Aida? won the Award for Best Film. Also, Žbanić won the Award for Best Director and cast member Jasna Đuričić won the Award for Best Actress at the same awards.
Themes and characters Žbanić acknowledges that her films deal chiefly with the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She says that she uses film to explore problems and issues relating to her life. Žbanić strives to create characters that are not just "black and white," as real people are not that simple. She does not create characters who are strict saints and heroes, but who might be weak and also brave and tolerant. In 2017, Žbanić signed the Declaration on the Common Language of the Croats, Serbs, Bosniaks and Montenegrins.
Filmography Feature films Year English titleOriginal title Director Writer ProducerNotes1995Autobiografija1997Poslije, poslije1998Noć je, mi svijetlimoLjubav je...2000Red Rubber BootsCrvene gumene čizme2003Sjećaš li se SarajevaImages from the CornerSlike s ugla2004Birthday2006Grbavica2010On the PathNa putu2013For Those Who Can Tell No TalesZa one koji ne mogu da govore2014Love Island2017Men Don't CryMuškarci ne plaču 2020Quo Vadis, Aida? TBAQuo Vadis, Aida? - The Missing PartQuo Vadis, Aida? – Dio koji nedostajePost-production
Documentary
2015: One Day in Sarajevo (Jedan dan u Sarajevu) 2025: Blum: Masters of Their Own Destiny (Blum: Gospodari svoje budućnosti)
Television Year Television show Episode/s Director Writer Producer2023The Last of Us"Kin"I Know Your Soul6 episodes
Accolades Year Association Category Work Result 1998Sarajevo Film FestivalSpecial PrizeNoć je, mi svijetlimo2003ZagrebDoxBig StampImages from the Corner2006Berlin International Film FestivalGolden BearGrbavicaPrize of the Ecumenical JuryPeace Film AwardSarajevo Film FestivalIvica Matić Award2010Berlin International Film FestivalGolden BearOn the Path2020Venice International Film FestivalGolden LionQuo Vadis, Aida?2021International Film Festival RotterdamAudience AwardGothenburg Film FestivalBest International Film AwardIndependent Spirit AwardsBest International FilmBritish Academy Film AwardsBest DirectorBest Film Not in the English Language93rd Academy AwardsBest International Feature FilmEuropean Film AwardsBest FilmBest DirectorBest Screenwriter
References
External links
2004 Interview with Žbanić