“Shows how the body can heal but the soul stays wounded”

There is both a joy and a burden that comes with having visited the Balkans a few times, particularly the countries that used to make up the now-dissolved Yugoslavia, a collection of six now-independent republics that were united under a socialist system that spanned most of the 20^th century and eventually reformed into sovereign states. This period was also defined by the events that immediately followed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, resulting in years of bloodshed that took place in the 1990s as a result of severe ideological and cultural differences between the three core cultural groups that make up much of the population. Some call it a war while others perhaps more accurately describe it as a genocide – but regardless of how one defines it, it’s clear that it remains a contentious subject, especially since it has only been just over thirty years since peace has been established in the region, or at least the closest approximation to it. This is where Damir Markovina finds the inspiration for We Shall Live Together, his intensely personal documentary in which he nestles a camera in his family home, recording a series of conversations with his mother, brother and (most notably) his father, all of them having radically different opinions on how the last thirty years has transpired. Particularly when his father Roko, who was a politician heavily in favour of a united Yugoslavia, had been living in exile for decades, stubbornly refusing to return to their home in the city of Mostar for reasons that are outlined throughout the film. A fascinating character study that dissects the inner quandaries of a group of people trying to make sense of their own identity in the face of the ongoing social changes that surround them, We Shall Live Together is a powerful and provocative piece that offers incredible insights into a subject that continues to fascinate and challenge our understanding of global politics.

There is a moment in We Shall Live Together where someone refers to the “Dayton Disagreement”, which may seem like a juvenile wordplay, but is actually a rather astute observation on how many people in the region view the policy that was put in place to supposedly restore peace to the Bosnian people, as well as those in the countries that surrounded them. To imagine any logical person could possibly take umbrage at a system that is designed to reduce conflict and promote peace seems unfathomable, until you realise there are certain people, such as the subject of this film, who believe that it was a regressive policy. These views are often held by the old guard of Bosnian politics, as exemplified by Roko Markovina, a man who played a vital role in the government during the era of Yugoslavia, but who has now retreated from public view, remaining isolated in self-imposed exile. The film uses him as the figurehead for its key themes, which reduces decades of politics and culture into a single narrative in which Roko is presented in two ways: the rambunctious young politician (through archival footage) and the elder statesman who still observes his country, albeit from a distance. Reconciling the public persona with the real person known only to his family is a fascinating approach, and one that this film explores extensively. It presents an uncomfortable version of the past through spirited debates that reveal much deeper complexities around how the political system changed extensively over time, as filtered through the lens of a man whose own complicated feelings form the foundation for some of the most affecting moments scattered throughout this film, its unfurnished approach facilitating only the most honest, open conversations about a difficult subject.

Political documentaries can sometimes be difficult to embrace, since there are preconceived notions that every film on a particular subject needs to strive to be a definitive account. Mercifully, we find that Markovina is much more shrewd in how he condenses decades of history into a single narrative, with We Shall Live Together managing to be both sprawling and intimate through how he chooses to be selective in what he explores as well as the manner in which he examines these often very complex ideas. The film combines archival media from the past forty years with new footage created for this project, mainly shot in the home of Roko and his family. This creates a balance between the historical context and the more personal elements, which are equally as important to the construction of the film, since it looks at the same ideas from different perspectives. The most interesting moments are the debates within this family, with the audience being positioned as voyeurs, quietly observing these interactions from close enough that we can start to see the more intricate connections between these people; it is far more interesting than a more didactic historical and political analysis. The intimate nature of the film evokes a confessional of sorts, where these people are comfortable enough to reveal hidden truths and work through the unresolved tensions, which play out in detail. It’s a confrontational approach (and the director has no hesitation in challenging his father on both his views and specific choices over the years), but it never comes across as aggressive or unnecessarily complicated, which is always a possibility when handling such unwieldy subject matter. Markovina refuses to provide easy answers while still giving the audience something to remember through these frank and forthright conversations that reveal unseen depths to an already very challenging subject.

We Shall Live Together is not the kind of documentary that offers a thorough, detailed overview of the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina, whether in the time leading up to the violent conflict, or the years that have since followed. It’s not an introductory text by any means, and does require some degree of knowledge of the period being discussed, if only to allow some of its more complex conversations to be given the proper contextualisation; Markovina was not focused on creating a clear overview the period, but rather providing a deeply personal account of the last four decades as seen through the eyes of his family. The past is an uncomfortable place to live, as we see in the form of the stubborn Roko, who yearns for an era that will never return, at least not in the same form. The film provides an intimate examination of the political and cultural changes, told from within, where he is forced to reflect on the small but meaningful part he played in the process. This is a film where the spirited debate between these people reveals how much of modern life in the region is still unfortunately defined by division and major ideological differences, showing how even in times of peace and supposed harmonious co-existence tensions remain. Ultimately, We Shall Live Together is a film that shows how the body can heal but the soul stays wounded, proving that it is impossible to entirely outrun the past, especially when the memories linger in the form of the political and cultural divisions that remain deeply entrenched in the lives of people across generations, all of whom perceive these complex issues in radically different but equally very insightful ways.