‘I Know Your Soul,’ Created by Oscar Nominee Jasmila Zbanic, Wins Drama Series Award at Sarajevo Film Festival

Bosnian crime drama “I Know Your Soul,” created by Jasmila Žbanić – who directed Berlinale Golden Bear winner “Grbavica” and Oscar-nominated “Quo Vadis, Aida?” – and Damir Ibrahimović – who was a producer on those films – was named best drama series Sunday at the 30th Sarajevo Film Festival. “Smashing It” was named best comedy show.

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Eight series were nominated in 14 categories. Entries came from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Slovenia and Serbia. The awards were decided by a jury of more than 500 film professionals from the region.

“I Know Your Soul” dominated the drama category, taking home seven Heart of Sarajevo awards. These included best drama series, best actress for Jasna Đurčić, European Film Award winner for “Quo Vadis, Aida?,” best supporting actress for Jelena Kordić Kuret, best supporting actor for Mirvad Kurić, Rising Star for Lazar Dragojević, best screenplay for Žbanić and Elma Tataragić, and best direction for Nermin Hamzagić.

Đuričić plays Nevena Murtezic, a prosecutor in the midst of a divorce and single mother to a teenage son, Dino (Dragojevic). The case of an adolescent’s suicide triggers an avalanche of events in her professional and private life as she finds it increasingly difficult to balance the relationship with Dino and a job under constant public and political pressure.

HBO Max acquired the series for the Central and Eastern European region. Beta Film is handling distribution rights. It is produced by Deblokada and BH Content Lab for BH Telecom. The show had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival last year.

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The Heart of Sarajevo for best actor in a drama series was posthumously awarded to Žarko Laušević for his role as Živojin Mišić in the series “A Time of Death.”

“Smashing It,” created by Elma Tataragić, Dušan Vranić, Enes Zlatar and Amra Bakšić Čamo, took home the Heart of Sarajevo for best comedy. The series also won awards for best actor for Alen Muratović, and best screenplay for Elma Tataragić, Dušan Vranić and Enes Zlatar.

The series “Radio Mileva,” created by Nebojša Garić, earned three Heart of Sarajevo Awards in the comedy categories: best actress for Olga Odanović, Rising Star for Kris Gavrić, and best direction for Elmir Jukić.

During the awards ceremony, Honorary Hearts of Sarajevo were presented to Christof Papousek, co-owner of Constantin Film Holding and CFO and managing partner of Cineplexx International, and producer Philippe Bober, founder of Coproduction Office, by the president of the Sarajevo Film Festival, Mirsad Purivatra.

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