Much Ado in Mostar

Synopsis

Documentary. Bosnia-Herzegovina is divided ethnically and religiously; Muslims live on the east side, Catholics on the west side. The US-led Dayton Peace Accord brought peace to Bosnia in 1995, but is no longer a suitable framework for their government. The residents in the city of Mostar are fearful of another war. Led by Andrew Garrod, a Dartmouth College professor, a mix of young people from both sides of the city, put their differences aside and come together to perform Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. The film follows them from 5 weeks of rehearsal to a tour of the production with performances in Croatia, Montenegro, Republika Srpska and Bosnia-Herzegovina. The show is staged in a bombed out public library as a reminder of the long-standing and violent conflicts between ethnic groups in the former Yugoslavia. The event was covered by local TV and radio stations.

Language

Croatian

Country

Bosnia-Herzegovina; United States

Medium

Film

Technical information

Colour / Sound

Year of release

2010

Availability

No distributor found (9/2010)

Notes

60% dialogue is spoken in Serbo-Croat; the Shakespearean verse is spoken in English.

Keywords

politics; Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Rehearsals; Multiculturalism; Youth Theatre

Credits

Director

Steve Nemsick

Producer

Jane Applegate; Steve Nemsick

Writer

Steve Nemsick

Contributor

Andrew Garrod