Kusturica returns with another mad (and maddening) tale of Balkan lives, resplendent with trains, opera, gypsy techno-pop – and civil war. Set in 1992 Bosnia, it follows the fortunes of engineer Luka (Stimac) who’s arrived from Belgrade to the middle of nowhere to build a railway tunnel designed to stimulate the local tourist industry. He’s accompanied by his wife and teenage son, but she soon runs off with a Hungarian musician and their son is drafted into the Serbian army. No one believes that a war will happen… When it arrives, Luka finds himself involved in a hostage exchange that has an unexpected side effect. At the time of writing, Kusturica is involved in a heated discussion with the BBFC over a Board-required cut to the film. “Big, brash and beautiful.” www.channel4.com
Life is a Miracle
Directed by Emir Kusturica