For Those Who Can Tell No Tales

An Australian tourist travels to a picturesque small town on the border between Bosnia and Serbia that harbors a dark secret. With her camera, she explores the sights, stays at the charming Hotel Vilina Vlas, and enjoys the idyllic atmosphere. But back in Australia, she learns of the atrocities committed in this place during the Balkan War. Deeply shaken, she returns to investigate the repressed history and give the victims a voice. FOR THOSE WHO CAN TELL NO TALES is a haunting drama by Bosnian director Jasmila Žbanić, based on the true story of Australian artist Kym Vercoe. Vercoe, who plays herself, discovered the dark past of the Hotel Vilina Vlas during a trip to Višegrad, where numerous women were raped and murdered during the Bosnian War. The film addresses the collective repression of these crimes and the difficulty of talking about the unspeakable. The film celebrated its world premiere in 2013 at the Toronto International Film Festival in the “Special Presentations” section and won the “Femme de Cinéma” award at the Les Arcs European Film Festival in the same year.

Keywords

  • #Solidarity with Ukraine
  • Screen: Southeast Europe
  • eastern europe
  • history
  • politics
  • secret
  • war
  • women

Actors

  • Kym Vercoe
  • Boris Isakovic
  • Simon McBurney
  • Branko Cvejic
  • Leon Lucev
  • Jasna Djuricic

Director

  • Jasmila Zbanic

Drama


1h 13min


16

EN


IT

DE

PT

ES

Bosnia and Herzegovina
2013
A tourist discovers the silent legacy of wartime atrocities when she arrives in a seemingly idyllic little town on the border of Bosnia and Serbia.

A tourist discovers the silent legacy of wartime atrocities when she arrives in a seemingly idyllic little town on the border of Bosnia and Serbia.


An Australian tourist travels to a picturesque small town on the border between Bosnia and Serbia that harbors a dark secret. With her camera, she explores the sights, stays at the charming Hotel Vilina Vlas, and enjoys the idyllic atmosphere. But back in Australia, she learns of the atrocities committed in this place during the Balkan War. Deeply shaken, she returns to investigate the repressed history and give the victims a voice.


FOR THOSE WHO CAN TELL NO TALES is a haunting drama by Bosnian director Jasmila Žbanić, based on the true story of Australian artist Kym Vercoe. Vercoe, who plays herself, discovered the dark past of the Hotel Vilina Vlas during a trip to Višegrad, where numerous women were raped and murdered during the Bosnian War. The film addresses the collective repression of these crimes and the difficulty of talking about the unspeakable.


The film celebrated its world premiere in 2013 at the Toronto International Film Festival in the “Special Presentations” section and won the “Femme de Cinéma” award at the Les Arcs European Film Festival in the same year.

Festivals

Cast & Crew