Dara of Jasenovac

Dara of Jasenovac was Serbia's official submission for Best International Feature at the 93rd Academy Awards, though it did not make the shortlist. Biljana Čekić, who plays young Dara, was eleven during filming and this was her acting debut; her own great-grandmother and nine relatives were actually sent to the Jasenovac camp, and only her great-grandmother survived. The film also became a serious point of controversy: one Variety critic called it thinly veiled Serbian nationalist propaganda, while outlets like Balkan Insight and Forward criticized it for anti-Croat historical distortion, and the fact that most of its budget came from the Serbian government drew further criticism. Who it's for: anyone willing to watch Serbia's Oscar entry, based on the real Jasenovac genocide, knowing it is itself at the center of a serious propaganda controversy. Who it's not for: viewers wanting a neutral, uncontested historical account, since the film itself is part of a political dispute.