In this documentary, set in Bosnia during the war, Pawlikowski steers clear of the usual cliches of war reporting. He takes on a more anthropological perspective relying not on commentary but on the power of images: a mass baptism before the final battle, the bizarre antics of the remaining members of the Karadjordje dynasty and the tribal chants of Serbian peasant/soldiers at the front line. The result is more universal enquiry into the nature of the nation state and the ethnocentric view of the world.
Serbian Epics
The documentary, set in Bosnia during the war, eschews typical war reporting clichés, adopting an anthropological approach that relies on powerful imagery rather than commentary, featuring a mass baptism as a pivotal moment.
