Bosnia and Herzegovina's candidate in the Best International Feature Film category for the Academy Awards this year is the film ‘Ballad’, by director Aida Begic.

The film, produced by the production company Film House from Sarajevo, premiered at this year's Sarajevo Film Festival.

‘Ballad’ is the story of Merjem-Meri, an unambitious, thirty-year-old homemaker and mother to eight-year-old girl Mila, who moves back to her parents after ten years of marriage. Soon after, Meri realises she is stuck in a circle of provincial rules and expectations and a complex relationship with her ambitious mother and spoiled younger brother. Her hope to gain custody of her daughter wanes from day to day because she has no chance of finding a permanent job. The only thing that makes her happy – but that makes everyone else look down on her – is auditioning for a film role in her neighbourhood.

The film, starring Marija Pikic, Jasna Zalica, Milan Tocinovski, Lana Stanisic, Slaven Vidak, Enes Kozlicic, Davor Golubovic, Amar Custovic.