‘I Know Your Soul’ wins Sarajevo TV Series Award

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

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

“I Know Your Soul” dominated the drama category, winning seven Heart of Sarajevo awards. These include Best Drama Series, Best Actress for Jasna Đurčić, winner of the European Film Award for “Quo Vadis, Aida?”, Best Actress in a Supporting Role 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 middle of a divorce and single mother of 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 with a job under constant public and political pressure.

HBO Max acquired the series for the Central and Eastern European region. Beta Film handles the 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.

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 Director 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 Sarajevo Film Festival President Mirsad Purivatra .