Poland’s Madants, Sweden’s Plattform Produktion, U.K.’s Good Chaos Board Jasmila Žbanić’s Buzzy ‘Quo Vadis, Aida?’ Sequel (EXCLUSIVE)

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Jasmila Žbanić, a renowned Bosnian filmmaker, is teaming up with several prominent independent European production houses for the follow-up to her Oscar-nominated film “Quo Vadis, Aida?” The sequel will be presented by the director on May 18 during the Cannes Investors Circle.

Where Are You Going, Aida? – The Unfound Piece” is a joint production spearheaded by Deblokada from Bosnia and Herzegovina, with collaborative efforts from Indie Prod (France), NGF Geyrhalterfilm (Austria), Topkapi Films (Netherlands), Madants (Poland), Razor Film (Germany), Plattform Produktion (Sweden), and Good Chaos (U.K.). Additionally, Indie Sales serves as the international distributor.

The movie that was nominated for Best International Feature at the 2021 Oscars tells the story of Aida (Jasna Đuričić), a Bosnian United Nations translator, who found herself in a moral dilemma between her family obligations and her duty, during the time when over 8,000 civilians, primarily Muslim men and boys, were brutally massacred in Srebrenica – an incident that constituted the worst act of mass murder on European soil since World War II.

The sequel sees Aida, portrayed by Đuričić once more, embarking on a peaceful quest to uncover the whereabouts of her husband and sons. Banding together with other women who initiate demonstrations and conduct independent investigations in pursuit of truth and justice, they persevere through bribery, governmental stagnation, and numerous hurdles. As Žbanić notes, they acknowledge that the peace negotiations prove to be more challenging than the war itself.

Following an intense debut at the Venice Film Festival in 2020, where Jessica Kiang from EbMaster praised the film as “deeply compelling, harrowing, and heartbreaking,” “Quo Vadis, Aida?” subsequently won over 50 international awards. Among these accolades were the titles for Best European Film, Best European Director, and Best European Actress (Đuričić) at the European Film Awards.

In “The Missing Part,” director Žbanić continues the story six months after the events of the previous film, addressing numerous queries from viewers concerning the ongoing search for missing individuals, their subsequent return to Srebrenica, and the post-war conditions that arose following the initial feature.

In speaking with EbMaster, I shared that the script for ‘Quo Vadis, Aida?’ originally delved deeply into the intricacies of peace following the Srebrenica genocide. Recognizing the immense challenge of encapsulating everything within a single film, I opted to present peace (in this case, non-warfare) succinctly in the epilogue. This decision seemed to pay off, as the film struck a profound emotional chord with its audience.

Driven by the audience’s curiosity and my personal desire to share an untold tale about the fight for truth and justice by women from Srebrenica, I chose to create a sequel,” she explained. “[The title] is symbolic; it represents Aida’s lost sons, as well as the original film because it fills in gaps, depicting events that transpired before the epilogue and Aida’s arrival in Srebrenica.

The film ‘Quo Vadis, Aida?’ receives backing from significant European film funds such as the Austrian Film Institute, Filmfonds Wien, the Polish Film Institute, the Swedish Film Institute, Medienboard Berlin-Brandenburg, Film i Väst, CNC – Aide aux cinémas du monde, and the Ministry of Culture and Sports – Canton of Sarajevo. It is also supported by broadcast partners like ARTE/ZDF, ORF, and TRT.

Žbanić is aiming to secure funding in Cannes, with intentions to commence primary filming in February 2026. Joining Đuričić in the cast are confirmed actors such as Jasna Žalica (“Mother Mara”), Jelena Kordić Kuret (“I Know Your Soul”), and Arieh Worthalter (“The Goldman Case”) from France.

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2025-05-18 04:16