Title/Opening credit
Here and there productions
Title/Opening credit
ESCAPE
Title/Caption
On March 24th 1999, NATO forces led by USA, began bombing Yugoslavia.
Title/Caption
Ten days after the bombing started, single mother Ljilja escaped from Belgrade, Yugoslavia with her two sons Vlada(11) and Dusan (8).
Spoken in Serbian
Moja mama je jedan dan kad smo dosli kuci, jedno pre podne, bila mi je I baba tu, ona nas je pitala , samo da li bi mi zeleli da dodjemo ovamo…
Subtitle
One day last week, during the bombing…
Mom asked us if we agree to come here…
Spoken in Serbian
Posto je tamo to bombardovanje, I dugo ce trajati, koliko’ona zna.
Subtitle
…because thet bombing will go on for a long time , over there
Spoken in Serbian
I mi smo pristali
Subtitle
We agreed…
Spoken in Serbian
I onda smo, dosli smo autobusom iz Beograda do Budimpeste
Subtitle
…first, we traveled from Belgrade to Budapest by bus…
Spoken in Serbian
I onda iz Budimpeste smo isli…cekali smo jednu noc, I onda smo avionom , sutra ujutru dosli ovamo.
Subtitle
…we waited one night in Budapest, then the next morning flew over here.
Title/Caption
April 1999
Long Island, USA
Spoken in Serbian
Prvih dana avioni su nam jos bili strah, nekako. On kad cuje avion , on pobegne u kucu I onda sav se trese. Prvih tri cetiri dana. Posto ovde prelecu avioni svaki dan.
Sad pre neki dan je preleteo neki avion, lici na onaj borbeni,
On se uplasio I poceo da place I pobegao odmah u kucu.
Subtitle
When we first got here, we were still scared of airplanes flying over.
When my brother heard the plane, he would run into the house and he’d be shivering…
There are ot of planes flying over here.
Yesterday an airplane flew over. It looked like a war plane.
He got so scared, started crying, and ran straight into the house.
Spoken in Serbian
Ja se zovem Vlada , ovo je moj brat Dusan. Mi smo iz Beograda.
Tamo je pocelo bombardovanje u sredu oko 8.
Subtitle
I am Vlada. This is my brother Dusan. We are from Belgrade.
The bombing started there on Wedneseday around 8 PM.
Spoken in Serbian
Strasno je. Za mene jeste. On se stalno uplasi, pocne da place kada pocnu sirene.
Subtitle
It was horrible.
Every time the sirens went off he got scared and started crying.
Spoken in Serbian
Pa zeleo sam da odem u skloniste.
-Zbog cega si to hteo?
Pa jer sam se plasio.
Subtitles
I wanted to be in a shelter all the time.
-Why?
Because I was scared.
Spoken in Serbian
Sad smo tu vec 10 dana, sutra idemo kuci. Idemo posto je mama nasal stan u Njujorku, icicemo tamo zajedno sa Anom.
I eto, bicemo dok se ne zavrsi ovo bombardovanje.
Mozda necemo odmah ici kuci
Jer ce tamo , kolko’ ja znam , biti opsti dzumbus.
Subtitles
We have been here for ten days. We are leaving for New York tomorrow.
We are leaving Long Island because mom just found an apartment in the city.
We will probably stay in New York until the bombing ends.
We won’t go home right after the bombing is over…
Since it will be total chaos over there.
Title/Caption
One year later
Spoken
We are from Belgrade, we came in America because of a war. It was one year ago and it was my mom’s idea. She wanted to come here.
Spoken in Serbian
Bilo mi je bitno samo da se sklonimo, bilo gde…
Jedina mogucnost koju smo imale je da dodjemo u Ameriku.
Tako da smo dosli tu.
Ali nisam mislila o tome da…
…da smo bombardovani od strane Amerike.
Subtitle
All I cared about was to escape…
Our only option at the time was to come to America.
So we came here.
I never thought about the fact that..
…that America bombed us.
Spoken
When we were here during the bombing, I didn’t wana listen about anything, about bombing, my mother was interested, but I wasn’t. I know it’s just bombing…I didn’t wana look any news or anything…because I felt it would be much better for me if I just forget about it. I didn’t…I don’t read about it. I don’t look at news and stuff.
Spoken in Serbian
Pa prvo kad smo dosli, dosli smo za vreme bombardovanja, moja ideja je da sacekamo da se zavrsi bombardovanje…
…I da se vratimo posle toga za Beograd.
Subtitles
When we first got here, I thought we would just wait for the bombing to end…
…and then return to Belgrade.
Spoken in Serbian
Jel mislite da cete da idete u skolu, ovde?
Pa, jos nista nije sigurno, s mamom smo se nesto malo dogovarali, ali verovatno – nista.
Ja…meni se ne ide, Ja jos ne znam Engleski dobro, a on ne zna uopste.
Subtitles
Do you think that you’ll go to school here?
Well, we don’t know yet.
We were talking to mom about that.
We probably will not go.
I don’t want to go to school here. I still don’t speak English that well…
…and he doesn’t speak it at all.
Spoken in Sebian
-A ti Duco, jel se tebi ide u skolu ovde?
Pa ide mi se.
-Sto ti se ide?
Pa ne znam. Zanimiljivo mi.
-Sta ti je to zanimljivo? Pa , ne znam.
Subtitles
-Do you feel like going to school here?
Yes, I want to go to school here.
-Why? I don’t know…It’s interesting to me.
What is so interesting for you? -Well…I don’t know.
Spoken in Sebian
Kako znas da ti je zanimljivo , a nikad nisi ni bio?
Subtitle
How do you know it’s interesting if you never been to school here?
Title/Caption on a Video Background
Dusan year 2002
Spoken
My first days of school, I remember, I was scared, I didn’t speak English, and all my friends taught I was from Russia.
Spoken in Serbian
Bas sam jako, jako brinula kako ce se on snaci. Taj prvi dan je nosio blokcic na kome sam ja napisala I na Srpskog pa onda prevod na Engleskom, sta treba da se kaze…zapravo sta treba da se pokaze, kosja stranica ako mu se ide u WC, ako ga nesto boli, ako mu je mnogo tesko I ne moze da ostane u skoli…
Onda si dosla ranije po mene u skolu.
…da pokaze taj papiric I da kaze da on mora da ide kuci.
Subtitles
I was really worried about how his first day of school was going to be.
I gave him a little notebook…
That I wrote Serbian to English translations in,
…like what to say if he needed to go to the bathroom…
or if he was sick, or in pain…
… or if things got too difficult for him, and he wanted to go home…
-You picked me up early that day.
…then he could show this notebook to his teacher and she’d let him go.
Spoken
I wanted to go back home , but my mom said that we should stay here, because the life is lot better here than if…it would be much better here than if we go back.
In Belgrade, me and my brother, we went in same school, it’s called Maxim Gorky, it’s a… it was near our house, I liked that school, I was there from first to sixth grade… from first to fifth grade, and then in fifth grade bombing started, we came here, now I am just…I am going here, in America, in sixth grade.
We live in a Brooklyn, in 79 streets. It’s a building that has…we are in one apartment…it’s not too big, but it’s fine.
Singing
Surfing USA
Spoken
I am going to school Edward Shallow. It’s in Brooklyn. It’s on 66th street.
Singing
Everybody is surfing, surfing USA
Spoken
From here my school is, like, 10, 15 blocks down. And I go there 2…3 years already actually, since the sixth grade, now I’m in eight.
He got in Brooklyn Tech. It’s the second best high school in New York. Yeah, Vlado.
Spoken in Serbian
‘Ajde, jace, jace!
Skoci vise!
Nogu nazad, nogu nazad!
Ovu ovde, ovu ovde, tako.
Subtitles
C’mon! Stronger, stronger.
Jump higher!
Move that foot back, back!
This one here…OK…Now, jump!
Spoken in Serbian
To je sto je Dusan nekako vecita beba, Vlada je stariji pa je silom prilika odrastao mnogo ranije, nekako je bio guran da odraste ranije nego sto bi inace da smo ostali da zivimo u Beogradu.
Subtitle
Dusan is the baby of the family.
Vlada is older and, because of circumstances, he matured faster.
He was pushed to grow up faster than if we had stayed in Belgrade.
Spoken in Serbian
Dobar sam…samo da nadjem svoj speech.
Subtitles
I am good…I just need to find my speech.
Spoken
ARISTA it’s, like, society that honors, like, smart students, I guess, that have 90 or above average for the year.
And this year I was the boy leader and I have, like, the highest average of all the boys.
Today, like, during the ARISTA I kind of remember my first day of school.
I was in the worst class of the school. I was in the class with the kids that didn’t speak any English, the immigrant kids. And … no one would talk to anybody…everybody was, like, new here.
This is, like, the last big ceremony, like, in the eight grade in the school, and…I’m just happy that made it that far.
Spoken
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
Spoken in Serbian
Kad si me pitao kada mislim o Americi,…da li sam mislila ot tome da nas Amerikanci bombarduju.
Ja imam vrlo negativno osecanje kad gledam svoju decu da pevaju Americku himnu.
Subtitles
You asked me earlier if I thought about how America bombed us…
I have very negative feelings when I see my kids singing the American anthem.
Singing (American anthem)
Oh say, can you see by the dawns early light, what so proudly we…
Spoken
Whenever actually, anybody sings the American anthem…kind of like…it’s not that…I I don’t know…I kind of like…I am so use to it and stuff and I…at first it was so different for me, now I am kind of use to it.
Singing (American anthem)
The bombs bursting in air, give proof through the night that our flag was still there
Spoken
Alex, watch!
Right now, it’s the end of the year, almost end of the eight grade, the graduation is on its way, getting ready for high school.
Vlad’s the man, very smart, very smart, good skater and he’ll get somewhere.
I am kind of nervous and kind of sad couse I am not gona be with my friends anymore, we gonna go to different high schools.
My graduation ceremony is in the end of June. It’s the last, last thing. After that I am finished with the school. There is only, like 2 to 3 weeks till that.
Afterwards, just couple of weeks after the graduation, we are going to Yugoslavia again, for two and half months. I can’t wait to go there.
Shit, open the door, I don’t even know who that is. Who else is missing?
OK guys, just put the safety pin on it. No tape it. Judgine give me the pin, hurry up, give me two.
OK guys, let’s go, let’s go. Get out!
Spoken in Serbian
Kada mislim o Americi,…
…da li sam mislila ot tome da nas Amerikanci bombarduju.
Ja iz protesta nisam ustala prvi put kad sam otisal u skolu, na roditeljski , kad su svi ustali,
Kad se svirala himna.
Subtitles
When I think of America…
If I thought about how Americans are bombing us…
When I first went to their school…I didn’t stand up for the anthem, out of protest.
Students Singing
God bless America, my home, sweet home…
Spoken in Serbian
Imam vrlo negativno osecanje sto se toga tice.
Onda mi je zao, onda se valjda probudi ono patriotsko ili ne znam kako…
…onda se setim bas svega onoga sto smo prezivljavali u…
…ne mogu da kazem da mi se javlja mrznja…
…ali vrlo negativno osecanje imam tada.
Subtitles
I have very negative feelings about it.
Then my own patriotic feelings are awakened…
…and I remember everything we survived.
I cannot say hatred…
…but at times have very negative feelings.
Spoken
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
Spoken in Serbian
To me bas nekako boli.
To mi je…onda se…osecam se , u stvari kao izdajica u takvim trenutcima.
Subtitles
That is painful.
I feel like a traitor in those moments.
Singing
I am proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free, I won’t forget the man who died, who gave that right to me. I am gladly stand up next you…couse ain’t n no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA
Spoken
Junior High School principal’s Award will be given to Vladimir Zivanovic.
Congratulations Vlad. -Thank you.
We came to US, then I change schools and everything and I always, like, I always had, like, a fear – am I gonna fit in? Caose I really didn’t know what I had to expect…and, like, I changed. I always had to accustomed to what’s going on, like, right here.
Give me one award, you got two!
What did you got for?
Math and principal’s!
I told you! That’s what I wrote, remember?
Yo, are your parents here?
Not my parents, my sister is.
Spoken in Serbian
Bravo care, da vidim sta si dobio?
-Pa ne znam. Ovo je Principal, ovo je matematika.
Principal…Ej!
Subtitles
Congratulations, big guy…let me see. What did you get?
Well, I don’t know…
This is Principal’s Award, and this is for math.
…Principal’s Award..Hey!
Spoken in Serbian
Vlada ima 15 godina.
Do sada smo sve delili I sve smo prezivlavali zajedno.
Subtitles
Vlada is 15 now.
So far, we have shared everything.
And we survived it all together.
Spoken in Serbian
Jel neces da places?-Necu, sine.
Subtitles
You won’t cry?-No, I don’t think so.
Spoken in Serbian
Nisam verovala da takva stvar moze ovde da se desi.
…da takva stvar moze da se desi Americi, ili nekom u Americi.
Subtitles
I never imagined something like that could happen here.
…that something like that could happen to America.
Title/Caption
September 11th, 2001 New York, USA
Spoken in Serbian
Otisla sam na posao, normalno…
…od 8 radim. I u 8 sam vec bila na svom random mestu.
Subtitles
I arrived to work, like usually…
…at 8 AM that morning.
Spoken in Serbian
I dan je zaista bio kao I bilo koji drugi.
Ni po cemu se bas nije razlikovao.
Ja sam pila svoju kafu…
Proveravala e-mail, kao sto radim svako jutro kad stignem na posao.
I onda se cula…
…eksplozija.
Subtitles
That day was just like any other day.
Nothing unusual.
I was drinking my coffee…
Checking my e-mail, like I do every morning.
Then I heard…
…an explosion.
Spoken
I was in school, then I suppose to have gym, and then we listened to the radio while while we were doing exercises and then one of my teachers heard that the World Trade Center was hurt and then we stopped and sit on the floor and listened to what was happening and then I felt scared, because my mom was in one those buildings.
Spoken in Serbian
Ja sam bila na 80-om spratu.
…I kroz prozor su se videli delici, ne znam ni ja, metala ili papyri ili vec sta se videlo.
Ja sam pomislila da…
…je eksplodirao gas.
I ne znam da li su se I ostali upanicili…
…ali ja sam iste sekunde uzela svoju tasnu,…
…uzela svoju tasnu I krenula da bezim, ne znam ni ja gde.
Jos uvek nije bilo ni panike, niti bilo cega…
…posto niko nije ni znao sta se desava.
Silazili smo, onako, neko polako, neko uplaseno, kao ja na primer, niz te stepenice.
…I negde oko…
…50-og sprata…
…smo…da…dotle smo vec dobili obavestenje da…
…se nesto desilo u prvoj zgradi, u World Trade Centru 1…
…da je nasa zgrada bezbedna…
…da mi mozemo da se vratimo na posao…
… da mozemo da ostanemo tu gde jesmo, da mozemo da se vratimo u svoje office..
…ili da izadjemo, kako vec kome odgovara.
Ja sam svom kolegi, koji bio pored mene, rekla…
…da se ja ne osecam kao da bih se vratila gore…
…nego da moram da izadjem napolje, da mi treba vazduha.
Subtitles
I was on the 80th floor.
…and I saw pieces of paper or metal flying around outside.
I thought that…
…it was a gas explosion.
I don’t know about the others…
…but I grabbed my purse…
…and immediately strted to run.
At that moment no one panicked yet…
…because nobody knew what just happened.
We were just walking down the stairs.
Some took their time, but some panicked, like me.
…and somewhere around…
…the 50th floor…
…we were…oh, yes…
…by that time we were already notified that…
…that something had happened in World Trade Center 1…
…but that our building was safe…
…and that we can either go back to our offices…
…or go out, whatever suits us…
I told my co-worker, who was with me…
…that I didn’t feel like going back upstairs…
…and that I needed to go out, to get some fresh air.
Spoken
We were in school and then we watched everything from the window of the school and we saw everything and that was really scary, cause ewe didn’t know if she was OK or not and we try ed calling her, but then we couldn’t get through to her because all the lines were down.
Spoken in Serbian
Ajde.-Idemo.
Subtitles
Let’s go.-OK.
Title
Spetember 11th 2001. Belgrade, Yugoslavia , Ivana- friend of the family
Spoken in Serbian
Gledali smo na TV-u.
Na svim kanalima su bile zgrade.
Znali smo da je Ljilja na 80-om spratu…
…one zgrade koja nije imala antenu.
I onda smo pokusavali, onako, kad je slika mirna, da izbrojimo spratove…
…odprilike gde je avion udario, a gde je njena kancelarija.
Nekako bi smo uvek izbrojali da je bas u njen , negde,, sprat udario.
Subtitles
We were watching it on TV in Belgrade.
It was on all the channels.
We knew her office was on the 80th floor…
…of the building with no antenna.
We were trying to count the floors…
…and figure out where the airplane hit.
Somehow we always came up with her floor.
Spoken in Serbian
I onda smo negde oko 50-og sprata…
…izasli u office, ne znam koje kompanije.
Ja sam bila u panicii sto ulazimo u prostorije koe nisu nase…
…gde ce nas neko grditi,…
…sto smo dosli u njihov prostor.
Tu smo otisli do prozora , da vidimo sta se desava…
…I onda videli…
…zgradu broj 1 koja gori…
…I ljude koji skacu sa tih gornjih spratova.
E onda je nastala opsta panika…
…onda smo krenuli da trcimo dole, jos.
I onda smo negde bili oko 40-og sprata…
…kada se osetio udar u nasoj zgradi.
E onda je nastala totalna ludnica.
Onda se padalo.
Meni je neka crnkinja na tom putu dole , dala nesto da popijem…
…ja bih rekla Prozak, ili vec ne znam sta,,,
…posto sam se sva tresla na tom putu do dole.
I posle ne znam kog vremena…
…smo izasli iz zgrade.
Subtitles
Then, around the 50th floor…
We entered the offices of some other company.
I was embarrassed thinking…
…that we’d get yelled at…
…fro being in the wrong office.
But then we went to the window to see what was happening…
…then we saw…
…World Trade Center 1 in flames…
…and we saw people jumping down from it.
At that moment the real panic set in.
Everybody rushed down the stairs.
Then , when we were around the 40th floor…
…we felt an explosion in our building.
That’s when all hell broke loose.
People started falling all over each other.
On the way down, some black lady gave me a pill…
…something like Prozac or something…
…because I was all shaking.
And after I don’t know how long…
…we came out of the building.
Spoken
The only thing I was thinking about, at that time, was my mom, cause I didn’t know if she was OK.
Spoken in Serbian
Ne znam cega sam se sve setila…
…na tom putu od 80-og do 1-og sprata.
I Beograda I bombardovanja I dece i…
Subtitles
Lots of things went through my head…
…during that journey down the stairs from the 80th floor…
…Belgrade and bombing and my kids…
Spoken in Serbian
Jedan telefon smo ostavili da moze Ljilja da se javi.
Sa druga dva smo zvali…
…sve koji bi mogli nesto da znaju.
Pokusavali I dalje da dobijemo Ameriku.
Ja sam u jednom trenutku dobila coveka…
…i…ali nekao sam pomislila da sam ipak dobila Ameriku, jer sam okrenula ovaj broj.
I ja sam rekla-“Halo, jel to Njujork?”
A on je poceo da se smeje I rekao- “Ha-ha, kakav Njujork?
“…to vise ne postoji. Ovo je moj najsrecniji dan u zivotu.”
Subtitles
We left one phone open for Ljilja.
We used the other to call…
…anyone who might know something.
We were constantly trying to reach America.
I finally got connected…
…and I assumed it was America.
I said-hello, is that New York?
He started laughing and said – New York?
“…New York doesn’t exist any more.”
-This is the happiest day of my life.” He said.
Spoken in Serbian
Ne znam…setila sam se…ja sam sve vreme mislila na bombardovanje u Beogradu.
Meni je sve to licilo na to.
Ne znam zasto. Verovatno je taj strah koji covek oseti u takvom trenutku.
Strah koji sam osecala u Beogradu verovatno slican tome.
Iako nisam znala niti da je to teroristicki napad niti bilo sta.
Subtitles
During the attack, all I could think of was the bombing of Belgrade.
The two seemed similar.
I don’t know why. It’s probably a fear that a person feels.
The fear I felt in Belgrade was the same.
Even though I didn’t know it was a terrorist attack.
Spoken in Serbian
Vecina ljudi, ne mogu da kazem da se radovala, ali…
…mozda I mogu da kazem.
Suvuse je sveze bilo secanje na bombardovanje.
I na sigurno, takodje, nase zrtve usled Americkog bombradovanja.
Subtitles
I can’t say most people were happy about it.
Well, maybe I can.
Memories of bombing were still very recent for us.
So were the memories of our victims of American bombing.
Spoken in Serbian
I posle par sati se Ljilja javila.
I onda smo svi poceli da placemo.
I mi tamo sa one strane, od srece , I ona sa ove.
Subtitles
A few hours later, Ljilja finally called in, from USA.
We all started crying.
She was crying there, and we were crying on the other end of the line.
Spoken in Serbian
Duca se hrabo drzao, sve dok mene nije cuo telefonom.
Dotle nije plakao , ni nista.
Ali onda kad smo se culi, onda nismo mogli da pricamo vise.
Onda smo plakali, on sa jedne, ja sa druge strane.
A Vlada je bio hrabar,.
Subtitles
Dusan was holding up well, until he heard my voice on the phone.
He wasn’t even crying until then.
But when we heard each other’s voices we couldn’t talk at all.
We started to cry, he on one end of the line, and I on the other.
But Vlada was brave.
Spoken in Serbian
Kakav uzas!
Subtitle
What a horror.
Spoken
After September 11th my mom was, like, mentally really stressed out. Whenever, like, anything about the World Trade Center came up she would always just start crying and she couldn’t watch it. And then like, I tried to always be there for her and, like, and tell her that is OK…that everything is OK now, ‘cause she escaped, and she was fine.
Spoken in Serbian
Moja deca su centar mog sveta I centar mog zivota.
I sve se okrece oko njih I postoje samo oni…
Ja sam malo…
…a ne mogu to da pricam.
Subtitles
My kids are the center of my life, and of my universe.
Everything revolves around them…
I am a little…
I cannot talk about it…
Spoken in Serbian
Dobro, a kazi mi , sta si tacno rekao tamo…
…kad si izasao, s obzirom da si izgubio svoj speech?
Al’ mi kazi na engleskom, ja cu razumeti.
Subtitles
So, can you tell me what you said up there…
…since you didn’t have your written speech?
You can tell me in English, I’ll understand.
Spoken
Welcome parents, teachers and fellow students
We were worked hard all year , in order to maintain at least a 90 average in all of our subjects and this ceremony honors uh and applauds us for all of our hard work and dedication through the year.
…and a biggest thank is , like , the family. ‘Cause the family is motivation to us…and that’s what we need to achieve ARISTA, motivation and support which we get from our family and most importantly – love. Thank you.
Written in Serbian
Puno te volimo I zelimo ti sve najbolje posto to je jedino sto ti zasluzujes.
Da budes ziva I zdrava I srecna I ima da prezivis jos sto 11ih septembara ili bombardovanja jer mi te stvarno volimo. Vlada I Dusan Septmbar 11 2002
Subtitles for writing in Serbian
We love you a lot and we wish you all the best because you deserve only the best.
We wish you to be alive and well. We know you could survive a 100 more September 11ths…
…or a 100 more bombings, because we really love you. Vlada and Dusan 9/11/02
Writen in English-Sign on fridge
World’s greatest mom
Spoken in Serbian
Vlada je nasao svoju drugaricu…ili devojku ili vec kako se to zove, poceo da izlazi sa njom…
…zapravo prvi put kad je izasao uopste , otisao je na… u setnju
U 3 popodne I rekao da ce ostati sat-dva.
I to je bilo prvi put kada je otisao, eto da kazem, na svoj prvi date ili prvi izlazak sa devojkom…
Ja znam koliko je on bio uzbudjen…
Ali je bilo jako smesno koliko samj ja bila uzbudjena taj dan.
Subtitles
Vlada found a friend, a girlfriend, I guess you call it, and they started going out…
…he first time they went out, they went for an afternoon walk.
He said they would stay out for a few hours.
That was his first date, the first time he went out with a girl…
He was so excited…
…but it was funny how excited I was that whole day…
Spoken
They are some girls that I skate , too. There is…She is kind of, my friend, and stuff…We hang out , like , a lot. She goes to Brooklyn Tech , now. That’s where I met her. Basicaly , like, one day… I was walking home and she came up to me and she, like, asked me if I skate, and I am , like, yeah, how would you know? And we started talking and stuff and I just found out that she lives just ten blocks away from my house. So I talk to her every day, on-line and on the phone and stuff and we go skating, like, on the weekends.
So, you have a girlfriend? –No.
Why? -Because.
Not hot enough? -No.
There is no one who can handle me that’s why.
Stop fixing your hair. -No, I wanna make it perfect.
No! -Why? I want to know, I always wanted to know. Are you a virgin?
Spoken in Serbian
Evo pricaj ti onda, ajde.
Moj brat se zaljubio u jednu devojcicu preko puta.
Sto zivi u kuci 47.
Pa, moj brat I ja smo stalno cekali nu.
Svaki put kad je vidim, ja ga pozovem.
Ali on dodje kasno, kad ona ode.
-I ne znate ni kako se zove ona?
A ne, posto ona izadje,,,ima mamu neku strogu.
I onda samo sto izadje, ona je zove, ona trci u kucu.
A propao mi ljubavni zivot.
A pricaj ti o svojoj devojci.
-Necu.
Ona je u Beogradu ostala.
Kako se ne brines da li ce da pogine tamo?
Boli me uvo.
Pa nije bas da te boli uvo.
A peva joj pesme razne tamo.
Dodje ispred vrata njene ucionice I onda joj peva tako razne pesme.
Subtitles
OK, then you tell him!
My brother fell in love with the girl next door.
She lives at house number 47.
My brother and me, we were always waiting for her to come out.
Every time I saw that she was out I would call him.
But he would always come too late, and she would already be gone.
-So, you don’t even know her name?
No…she comes out…Her mom seems very strict.
As soon as she goes out, her mom yells from the house, and she runs back.
My love life is ruined.
Now, you talk about your girlfriend.
-No!
She stayed in Belgrade.
Aren’t you worried that she might get killed there?
-I don’t care.
I don’t think so.
He used to serenade her.
He would go in front of her classroom door, and sing for her.
Singing
What a disaster, we are still in shock, who produced this schlock, that slimy sleazy, …what a bum!
Spoken
The bad stuff that may happen in a future is, maybe a bombing, I don’t know, maybe a world war III.
September 11th happened, it was a big tragic thing, but like, everyone… my mom was OK, which is a good thing. Bombing also, everyone was OK, so I basically think that we just gonna have to keep doing this thing, try to survive it, I guess.
And I don’t really think that it’s happening to me, specifically for some reason or… ‘Cause I am not the only one those things happen to, they are millions of other people.
Title/Caption
March 2003 Times Square, USA
Spoken
Today is March 30th 2003. In a few days it will be exactly four years since the first day we came.
Forecast: rain, high near 48. here is what’s news from Dow Jones: Front line: USA troops resume slow advance toward Baghdad while British forces push into Basra
Personally, I disagree with a whole idea of war, and so many other people do, but they don’t say: Oh no, I am not an American cause I disagree with it. Of course, there is always gonna be things you disagree with, and this one of them. But you don’t stop being something cause you just disagree with little part of it. I’m just disappointed in the way everything turned out. How Americans…some American politicians are treating the rest of the world.
Right now, that I know that’s important in a world is that there is a war USA against Iraq. And I think that want to catch Sadam Husein…and I don’t know…I just know it’s bad. Reminds me when it was a bombing in my country.
Sometimes with my mom I watch TV and I see bombs falling on Baghdad and Iraq and…it looks bad and scary. Feel bad for the people who live there.
This whole bombing of Baghdad and Iraq actually brings a lot of memories back. Cause whenever I look at TV and see bombs falling and everything burning, brings so many memories back. I can’t really watch it, I get really upset…cause, I remember everything that happened I remember how bad it was, and how bad I felt.
Spoken in Serbian
Isli smo u skloniste, nas je bilo tamo 15-ak.
Imali smo tamo krevete. Tamo smo provodili skoro celu noc I dan.
Kad dodjemo kuci, samo sto sednemo na krevet, ono vec pocnu opet sirene.
I tako, u sklonistu je bilo puno dece , svi su se uplasili.
Subtitles
We spent a lot of time in the bomb shelter. There were around 15 of us there.
We had beds down there. We would spend almost all of our time down there.
Every time we went upstairs, the air raid sirens would go off again.
There were a lot of kids in the shelter. We were all scared.
Spoken
When I grow up I am always gonna feel Serbian, but then I also might feel American, or something …but then I know that I always gonna feel Serbian, no matter what, cause that’s where I grew up and that’s where I feel my home is.
After few months in America my friends asked me how it was, I said it was fine, but I still like my country better.
We will be going back to our country on June 10. We will stay there for two and a half months. I missed everybody from there, I am happy to go. When the time comes we have to came back I will feel very sad, like I felt when we were coming last year. I was sad. I wasn’t happy because I got to come back, I rather stay there to play with my friends, but…
Well, the whole coming back here…Like everybody was saying-Oh, eventually…like my dad, he is, like-Oh, you gonna forget about us, blah-blah-blah, and then you never gonna come you gonna have your own girlfriend, your friends there. You gonna foget…you are not gonna want to come.
Well I totally changed in a last four years. Like right now, if I saw myself I was four years ago I ‘d probably laugh at myself, back then.’ Cause, like…I don’t know, I was totally like a little nerd, geek.
What was I thinking back then?
And it’s always, like, totally weird to me, like- Oh my God, like thank God I changed.
It’s May 26th 2003, Brooklyn, New York. My first year in High School- Brooklyn Tech.
And this whole year has been very different that lot of others. Lot of things have changed.
I never really taught that would happen. I could have sworn that it wouldn’t. I don’t know why but it was just like a… I don’t know, I just never…I could never see that.
I guess now it happened and it’s kind a like…it’s little weird, but, I mean…things change.
Well, yeah, this is the first year that I’m not really, like, all 100 % for going to Serbia.
I don’t know. I kind of, like, right now…I have a lot of friends right here, I totally got used to the way we live here.
I feel, like this is me, this where I live. I feel like I am going away from here and then I am gonna come back here, even though, last year was totally different. I felt like I was going back there and coming here.
I mean, that’s still is my home, but…
Spoken in Serbian
Ne, ne znam,…ne znam, ne znam da ti odgovorim na to.
Subtitle
…I don’t know, I don’t know what to answer.
Spoken in Serbian
Ja se zovem Vlada, ovo je moj brat Dusan. Mi smo iz Beograda.
Tamo je pocelo bobmardovanje u Sredu oko 8.
Subtitles
I am Vlada. This is my brother Dusan. We are from Belgrade.
The bombing started there on Wednsday around 8 pm.
Closing credits
Appearing
Vlada Zivanovic
Ljilja Zivanovic
Dusan Zivanovic
Ivana Jesic
Directed by Darko Lungulov
Music standing in lines
Camera Darko Lungulov
Additional camera Nikola Majdak Jr.
Editing Darko Lungulov
Sound Post Sound Janitors
Consultant Kim Snyder
Assistant editor Daniel Roe
Very special thanks to the Zivanovic family for letting me into their lives.
Special thanks to:
…names…
©here and there productions 2004
Here and there productions
Title/Opening credit
ESCAPE
Title/Caption
On March 24th 1999, NATO forces led by USA, began bombing Yugoslavia.
Title/Caption
Ten days after the bombing started, single mother Ljilja escaped from Belgrade, Yugoslavia with her two sons Vlada(11) and Dusan (8).
Spoken in Serbian
Moja mama je jedan dan kad smo dosli kuci, jedno pre podne, bila mi je I baba tu, ona nas je pitala , samo da li bi mi zeleli da dodjemo ovamo…
Subtitle
One day last week, during the bombing…
Mom asked us if we agree to come here…
Spoken in Serbian
Posto je tamo to bombardovanje, I dugo ce trajati, koliko’ona zna.
Subtitle
…because thet bombing will go on for a long time , over there
Spoken in Serbian
I mi smo pristali
Subtitle
We agreed…
Spoken in Serbian
I onda smo, dosli smo autobusom iz Beograda do Budimpeste
Subtitle
…first, we traveled from Belgrade to Budapest by bus…
Spoken in Serbian
I onda iz Budimpeste smo isli…cekali smo jednu noc, I onda smo avionom , sutra ujutru dosli ovamo.
Subtitle
…we waited one night in Budapest, then the next morning flew over here.
Title/Caption
April 1999
Long Island, USA
Spoken in Serbian
Prvih dana avioni su nam jos bili strah, nekako. On kad cuje avion , on pobegne u kucu I onda sav se trese. Prvih tri cetiri dana. Posto ovde prelecu avioni svaki dan.
Sad pre neki dan je preleteo neki avion, lici na onaj borbeni,
On se uplasio I poceo da place I pobegao odmah u kucu.
Subtitle
When we first got here, we were still scared of airplanes flying over.
When my brother heard the plane, he would run into the house and he’d be shivering…
There are ot of planes flying over here.
Yesterday an airplane flew over. It looked like a war plane.
He got so scared, started crying, and ran straight into the house.
Spoken in Serbian
Ja se zovem Vlada , ovo je moj brat Dusan. Mi smo iz Beograda.
Tamo je pocelo bombardovanje u sredu oko 8.
Subtitle
I am Vlada. This is my brother Dusan. We are from Belgrade.
The bombing started there on Wedneseday around 8 PM.
Spoken in Serbian
Strasno je. Za mene jeste. On se stalno uplasi, pocne da place kada pocnu sirene.
Subtitle
It was horrible.
Every time the sirens went off he got scared and started crying.
Spoken in Serbian
Pa zeleo sam da odem u skloniste.
-Zbog cega si to hteo?
Pa jer sam se plasio.
Subtitles
I wanted to be in a shelter all the time.
-Why?
Because I was scared.
Spoken in Serbian
Sad smo tu vec 10 dana, sutra idemo kuci. Idemo posto je mama nasal stan u Njujorku, icicemo tamo zajedno sa Anom.
I eto, bicemo dok se ne zavrsi ovo bombardovanje.
Mozda necemo odmah ici kuci
Jer ce tamo , kolko’ ja znam , biti opsti dzumbus.
Subtitles
We have been here for ten days. We are leaving for New York tomorrow.
We are leaving Long Island because mom just found an apartment in the city.
We will probably stay in New York until the bombing ends.
We won’t go home right after the bombing is over…
Since it will be total chaos over there.
Title/Caption
One year later
Spoken
We are from Belgrade, we came in America because of a war. It was one year ago and it was my mom’s idea. She wanted to come here.
Spoken in Serbian
Bilo mi je bitno samo da se sklonimo, bilo gde…
Jedina mogucnost koju smo imale je da dodjemo u Ameriku.
Tako da smo dosli tu.
Ali nisam mislila o tome da…
…da smo bombardovani od strane Amerike.
Subtitle
All I cared about was to escape…
Our only option at the time was to come to America.
So we came here.
I never thought about the fact that..
…that America bombed us.
Spoken
When we were here during the bombing, I didn’t wana listen about anything, about bombing, my mother was interested, but I wasn’t. I know it’s just bombing…I didn’t wana look any news or anything…because I felt it would be much better for me if I just forget about it. I didn’t…I don’t read about it. I don’t look at news and stuff.
Spoken in Serbian
Pa prvo kad smo dosli, dosli smo za vreme bombardovanja, moja ideja je da sacekamo da se zavrsi bombardovanje…
…I da se vratimo posle toga za Beograd.
Subtitles
When we first got here, I thought we would just wait for the bombing to end…
…and then return to Belgrade.
Spoken in Serbian
Jel mislite da cete da idete u skolu, ovde?
Pa, jos nista nije sigurno, s mamom smo se nesto malo dogovarali, ali verovatno – nista.
Ja…meni se ne ide, Ja jos ne znam Engleski dobro, a on ne zna uopste.
Subtitles
Do you think that you’ll go to school here?
Well, we don’t know yet.
We were talking to mom about that.
We probably will not go.
I don’t want to go to school here. I still don’t speak English that well…
…and he doesn’t speak it at all.
Spoken in Sebian
-A ti Duco, jel se tebi ide u skolu ovde?
Pa ide mi se.
-Sto ti se ide?
Pa ne znam. Zanimiljivo mi.
-Sta ti je to zanimljivo? Pa , ne znam.
Subtitles
-Do you feel like going to school here?
Yes, I want to go to school here.
-Why? I don’t know…It’s interesting to me.
What is so interesting for you? -Well…I don’t know.
Spoken in Sebian
Kako znas da ti je zanimljivo , a nikad nisi ni bio?
Subtitle
How do you know it’s interesting if you never been to school here?
Title/Caption on a Video Background
Dusan year 2002
Spoken
My first days of school, I remember, I was scared, I didn’t speak English, and all my friends taught I was from Russia.
Spoken in Serbian
Bas sam jako, jako brinula kako ce se on snaci. Taj prvi dan je nosio blokcic na kome sam ja napisala I na Srpskog pa onda prevod na Engleskom, sta treba da se kaze…zapravo sta treba da se pokaze, kosja stranica ako mu se ide u WC, ako ga nesto boli, ako mu je mnogo tesko I ne moze da ostane u skoli…
Onda si dosla ranije po mene u skolu.
…da pokaze taj papiric I da kaze da on mora da ide kuci.
Subtitles
I was really worried about how his first day of school was going to be.
I gave him a little notebook…
That I wrote Serbian to English translations in,
…like what to say if he needed to go to the bathroom…
or if he was sick, or in pain…
… or if things got too difficult for him, and he wanted to go home…
-You picked me up early that day.
…then he could show this notebook to his teacher and she’d let him go.
Spoken
I wanted to go back home , but my mom said that we should stay here, because the life is lot better here than if…it would be much better here than if we go back.
In Belgrade, me and my brother, we went in same school, it’s called Maxim Gorky, it’s a… it was near our house, I liked that school, I was there from first to sixth grade… from first to fifth grade, and then in fifth grade bombing started, we came here, now I am just…I am going here, in America, in sixth grade.
We live in a Brooklyn, in 79 streets. It’s a building that has…we are in one apartment…it’s not too big, but it’s fine.
Singing
Surfing USA
Spoken
I am going to school Edward Shallow. It’s in Brooklyn. It’s on 66th street.
Singing
Everybody is surfing, surfing USA
Spoken
From here my school is, like, 10, 15 blocks down. And I go there 2…3 years already actually, since the sixth grade, now I’m in eight.
He got in Brooklyn Tech. It’s the second best high school in New York. Yeah, Vlado.
Spoken in Serbian
‘Ajde, jace, jace!
Skoci vise!
Nogu nazad, nogu nazad!
Ovu ovde, ovu ovde, tako.
Subtitles
C’mon! Stronger, stronger.
Jump higher!
Move that foot back, back!
This one here…OK…Now, jump!
Spoken in Serbian
To je sto je Dusan nekako vecita beba, Vlada je stariji pa je silom prilika odrastao mnogo ranije, nekako je bio guran da odraste ranije nego sto bi inace da smo ostali da zivimo u Beogradu.
Subtitle
Dusan is the baby of the family.
Vlada is older and, because of circumstances, he matured faster.
He was pushed to grow up faster than if we had stayed in Belgrade.
Spoken in Serbian
Dobar sam…samo da nadjem svoj speech.
Subtitles
I am good…I just need to find my speech.
Spoken
ARISTA it’s, like, society that honors, like, smart students, I guess, that have 90 or above average for the year.
And this year I was the boy leader and I have, like, the highest average of all the boys.
Today, like, during the ARISTA I kind of remember my first day of school.
I was in the worst class of the school. I was in the class with the kids that didn’t speak any English, the immigrant kids. And … no one would talk to anybody…everybody was, like, new here.
This is, like, the last big ceremony, like, in the eight grade in the school, and…I’m just happy that made it that far.
Spoken
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
Spoken in Serbian
Kad si me pitao kada mislim o Americi,…da li sam mislila ot tome da nas Amerikanci bombarduju.
Ja imam vrlo negativno osecanje kad gledam svoju decu da pevaju Americku himnu.
Subtitles
You asked me earlier if I thought about how America bombed us…
I have very negative feelings when I see my kids singing the American anthem.
Singing (American anthem)
Oh say, can you see by the dawns early light, what so proudly we…
Spoken
Whenever actually, anybody sings the American anthem…kind of like…it’s not that…I I don’t know…I kind of like…I am so use to it and stuff and I…at first it was so different for me, now I am kind of use to it.
Singing (American anthem)
The bombs bursting in air, give proof through the night that our flag was still there
Spoken
Alex, watch!
Right now, it’s the end of the year, almost end of the eight grade, the graduation is on its way, getting ready for high school.
Vlad’s the man, very smart, very smart, good skater and he’ll get somewhere.
I am kind of nervous and kind of sad couse I am not gona be with my friends anymore, we gonna go to different high schools.
My graduation ceremony is in the end of June. It’s the last, last thing. After that I am finished with the school. There is only, like 2 to 3 weeks till that.
Afterwards, just couple of weeks after the graduation, we are going to Yugoslavia again, for two and half months. I can’t wait to go there.
Shit, open the door, I don’t even know who that is. Who else is missing?
OK guys, just put the safety pin on it. No tape it. Judgine give me the pin, hurry up, give me two.
OK guys, let’s go, let’s go. Get out!
Spoken in Serbian
Kada mislim o Americi,…
…da li sam mislila ot tome da nas Amerikanci bombarduju.
Ja iz protesta nisam ustala prvi put kad sam otisal u skolu, na roditeljski , kad su svi ustali,
Kad se svirala himna.
Subtitles
When I think of America…
If I thought about how Americans are bombing us…
When I first went to their school…I didn’t stand up for the anthem, out of protest.
Students Singing
God bless America, my home, sweet home…
Spoken in Serbian
Imam vrlo negativno osecanje sto se toga tice.
Onda mi je zao, onda se valjda probudi ono patriotsko ili ne znam kako…
…onda se setim bas svega onoga sto smo prezivljavali u…
…ne mogu da kazem da mi se javlja mrznja…
…ali vrlo negativno osecanje imam tada.
Subtitles
I have very negative feelings about it.
Then my own patriotic feelings are awakened…
…and I remember everything we survived.
I cannot say hatred…
…but at times have very negative feelings.
Spoken
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
Spoken in Serbian
To me bas nekako boli.
To mi je…onda se…osecam se , u stvari kao izdajica u takvim trenutcima.
Subtitles
That is painful.
I feel like a traitor in those moments.
Singing
I am proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free, I won’t forget the man who died, who gave that right to me. I am gladly stand up next you…couse ain’t n no doubt I love this land, God bless the USA
Spoken
Junior High School principal’s Award will be given to Vladimir Zivanovic.
Congratulations Vlad. -Thank you.
We came to US, then I change schools and everything and I always, like, I always had, like, a fear – am I gonna fit in? Caose I really didn’t know what I had to expect…and, like, I changed. I always had to accustomed to what’s going on, like, right here.
Give me one award, you got two!
What did you got for?
Math and principal’s!
I told you! That’s what I wrote, remember?
Yo, are your parents here?
Not my parents, my sister is.
Spoken in Serbian
Bravo care, da vidim sta si dobio?
-Pa ne znam. Ovo je Principal, ovo je matematika.
Principal…Ej!
Subtitles
Congratulations, big guy…let me see. What did you get?
Well, I don’t know…
This is Principal’s Award, and this is for math.
…Principal’s Award..Hey!
Spoken in Serbian
Vlada ima 15 godina.
Do sada smo sve delili I sve smo prezivlavali zajedno.
Subtitles
Vlada is 15 now.
So far, we have shared everything.
And we survived it all together.
Spoken in Serbian
Jel neces da places?-Necu, sine.
Subtitles
You won’t cry?-No, I don’t think so.
Spoken in Serbian
Nisam verovala da takva stvar moze ovde da se desi.
…da takva stvar moze da se desi Americi, ili nekom u Americi.
Subtitles
I never imagined something like that could happen here.
…that something like that could happen to America.
Title/Caption
September 11th, 2001 New York, USA
Spoken in Serbian
Otisla sam na posao, normalno…
…od 8 radim. I u 8 sam vec bila na svom random mestu.
Subtitles
I arrived to work, like usually…
…at 8 AM that morning.
Spoken in Serbian
I dan je zaista bio kao I bilo koji drugi.
Ni po cemu se bas nije razlikovao.
Ja sam pila svoju kafu…
Proveravala e-mail, kao sto radim svako jutro kad stignem na posao.
I onda se cula…
…eksplozija.
Subtitles
That day was just like any other day.
Nothing unusual.
I was drinking my coffee…
Checking my e-mail, like I do every morning.
Then I heard…
…an explosion.
Spoken
I was in school, then I suppose to have gym, and then we listened to the radio while while we were doing exercises and then one of my teachers heard that the World Trade Center was hurt and then we stopped and sit on the floor and listened to what was happening and then I felt scared, because my mom was in one those buildings.
Spoken in Serbian
Ja sam bila na 80-om spratu.
…I kroz prozor su se videli delici, ne znam ni ja, metala ili papyri ili vec sta se videlo.
Ja sam pomislila da…
…je eksplodirao gas.
I ne znam da li su se I ostali upanicili…
…ali ja sam iste sekunde uzela svoju tasnu,…
…uzela svoju tasnu I krenula da bezim, ne znam ni ja gde.
Jos uvek nije bilo ni panike, niti bilo cega…
…posto niko nije ni znao sta se desava.
Silazili smo, onako, neko polako, neko uplaseno, kao ja na primer, niz te stepenice.
…I negde oko…
…50-og sprata…
…smo…da…dotle smo vec dobili obavestenje da…
…se nesto desilo u prvoj zgradi, u World Trade Centru 1…
…da je nasa zgrada bezbedna…
…da mi mozemo da se vratimo na posao…
… da mozemo da ostanemo tu gde jesmo, da mozemo da se vratimo u svoje office..
…ili da izadjemo, kako vec kome odgovara.
Ja sam svom kolegi, koji bio pored mene, rekla…
…da se ja ne osecam kao da bih se vratila gore…
…nego da moram da izadjem napolje, da mi treba vazduha.
Subtitles
I was on the 80th floor.
…and I saw pieces of paper or metal flying around outside.
I thought that…
…it was a gas explosion.
I don’t know about the others…
…but I grabbed my purse…
…and immediately strted to run.
At that moment no one panicked yet…
…because nobody knew what just happened.
We were just walking down the stairs.
Some took their time, but some panicked, like me.
…and somewhere around…
…the 50th floor…
…we were…oh, yes…
…by that time we were already notified that…
…that something had happened in World Trade Center 1…
…but that our building was safe…
…and that we can either go back to our offices…
…or go out, whatever suits us…
I told my co-worker, who was with me…
…that I didn’t feel like going back upstairs…
…and that I needed to go out, to get some fresh air.
Spoken
We were in school and then we watched everything from the window of the school and we saw everything and that was really scary, cause ewe didn’t know if she was OK or not and we try ed calling her, but then we couldn’t get through to her because all the lines were down.
Spoken in Serbian
Ajde.-Idemo.
Subtitles
Let’s go.-OK.
Title
Spetember 11th 2001. Belgrade, Yugoslavia , Ivana- friend of the family
Spoken in Serbian
Gledali smo na TV-u.
Na svim kanalima su bile zgrade.
Znali smo da je Ljilja na 80-om spratu…
…one zgrade koja nije imala antenu.
I onda smo pokusavali, onako, kad je slika mirna, da izbrojimo spratove…
…odprilike gde je avion udario, a gde je njena kancelarija.
Nekako bi smo uvek izbrojali da je bas u njen , negde,, sprat udario.
Subtitles
We were watching it on TV in Belgrade.
It was on all the channels.
We knew her office was on the 80th floor…
…of the building with no antenna.
We were trying to count the floors…
…and figure out where the airplane hit.
Somehow we always came up with her floor.
Spoken in Serbian
I onda smo negde oko 50-og sprata…
…izasli u office, ne znam koje kompanije.
Ja sam bila u panicii sto ulazimo u prostorije koe nisu nase…
…gde ce nas neko grditi,…
…sto smo dosli u njihov prostor.
Tu smo otisli do prozora , da vidimo sta se desava…
…I onda videli…
…zgradu broj 1 koja gori…
…I ljude koji skacu sa tih gornjih spratova.
E onda je nastala opsta panika…
…onda smo krenuli da trcimo dole, jos.
I onda smo negde bili oko 40-og sprata…
…kada se osetio udar u nasoj zgradi.
E onda je nastala totalna ludnica.
Onda se padalo.
Meni je neka crnkinja na tom putu dole , dala nesto da popijem…
…ja bih rekla Prozak, ili vec ne znam sta,,,
…posto sam se sva tresla na tom putu do dole.
I posle ne znam kog vremena…
…smo izasli iz zgrade.
Subtitles
Then, around the 50th floor…
We entered the offices of some other company.
I was embarrassed thinking…
…that we’d get yelled at…
…fro being in the wrong office.
But then we went to the window to see what was happening…
…then we saw…
…World Trade Center 1 in flames…
…and we saw people jumping down from it.
At that moment the real panic set in.
Everybody rushed down the stairs.
Then , when we were around the 40th floor…
…we felt an explosion in our building.
That’s when all hell broke loose.
People started falling all over each other.
On the way down, some black lady gave me a pill…
…something like Prozac or something…
…because I was all shaking.
And after I don’t know how long…
…we came out of the building.
Spoken
The only thing I was thinking about, at that time, was my mom, cause I didn’t know if she was OK.
Spoken in Serbian
Ne znam cega sam se sve setila…
…na tom putu od 80-og do 1-og sprata.
I Beograda I bombardovanja I dece i…
Subtitles
Lots of things went through my head…
…during that journey down the stairs from the 80th floor…
…Belgrade and bombing and my kids…
Spoken in Serbian
Jedan telefon smo ostavili da moze Ljilja da se javi.
Sa druga dva smo zvali…
…sve koji bi mogli nesto da znaju.
Pokusavali I dalje da dobijemo Ameriku.
Ja sam u jednom trenutku dobila coveka…
…i…ali nekao sam pomislila da sam ipak dobila Ameriku, jer sam okrenula ovaj broj.
I ja sam rekla-“Halo, jel to Njujork?”
A on je poceo da se smeje I rekao- “Ha-ha, kakav Njujork?
“…to vise ne postoji. Ovo je moj najsrecniji dan u zivotu.”
Subtitles
We left one phone open for Ljilja.
We used the other to call…
…anyone who might know something.
We were constantly trying to reach America.
I finally got connected…
…and I assumed it was America.
I said-hello, is that New York?
He started laughing and said – New York?
“…New York doesn’t exist any more.”
-This is the happiest day of my life.” He said.
Spoken in Serbian
Ne znam…setila sam se…ja sam sve vreme mislila na bombardovanje u Beogradu.
Meni je sve to licilo na to.
Ne znam zasto. Verovatno je taj strah koji covek oseti u takvom trenutku.
Strah koji sam osecala u Beogradu verovatno slican tome.
Iako nisam znala niti da je to teroristicki napad niti bilo sta.
Subtitles
During the attack, all I could think of was the bombing of Belgrade.
The two seemed similar.
I don’t know why. It’s probably a fear that a person feels.
The fear I felt in Belgrade was the same.
Even though I didn’t know it was a terrorist attack.
Spoken in Serbian
Vecina ljudi, ne mogu da kazem da se radovala, ali…
…mozda I mogu da kazem.
Suvuse je sveze bilo secanje na bombardovanje.
I na sigurno, takodje, nase zrtve usled Americkog bombradovanja.
Subtitles
I can’t say most people were happy about it.
Well, maybe I can.
Memories of bombing were still very recent for us.
So were the memories of our victims of American bombing.
Spoken in Serbian
I posle par sati se Ljilja javila.
I onda smo svi poceli da placemo.
I mi tamo sa one strane, od srece , I ona sa ove.
Subtitles
A few hours later, Ljilja finally called in, from USA.
We all started crying.
She was crying there, and we were crying on the other end of the line.
Spoken in Serbian
Duca se hrabo drzao, sve dok mene nije cuo telefonom.
Dotle nije plakao , ni nista.
Ali onda kad smo se culi, onda nismo mogli da pricamo vise.
Onda smo plakali, on sa jedne, ja sa druge strane.
A Vlada je bio hrabar,.
Subtitles
Dusan was holding up well, until he heard my voice on the phone.
He wasn’t even crying until then.
But when we heard each other’s voices we couldn’t talk at all.
We started to cry, he on one end of the line, and I on the other.
But Vlada was brave.
Spoken in Serbian
Kakav uzas!
Subtitle
What a horror.
Spoken
After September 11th my mom was, like, mentally really stressed out. Whenever, like, anything about the World Trade Center came up she would always just start crying and she couldn’t watch it. And then like, I tried to always be there for her and, like, and tell her that is OK…that everything is OK now, ‘cause she escaped, and she was fine.
Spoken in Serbian
Moja deca su centar mog sveta I centar mog zivota.
I sve se okrece oko njih I postoje samo oni…
Ja sam malo…
…a ne mogu to da pricam.
Subtitles
My kids are the center of my life, and of my universe.
Everything revolves around them…
I am a little…
I cannot talk about it…
Spoken in Serbian
Dobro, a kazi mi , sta si tacno rekao tamo…
…kad si izasao, s obzirom da si izgubio svoj speech?
Al’ mi kazi na engleskom, ja cu razumeti.
Subtitles
So, can you tell me what you said up there…
…since you didn’t have your written speech?
You can tell me in English, I’ll understand.
Spoken
Welcome parents, teachers and fellow students
We were worked hard all year , in order to maintain at least a 90 average in all of our subjects and this ceremony honors uh and applauds us for all of our hard work and dedication through the year.
…and a biggest thank is , like , the family. ‘Cause the family is motivation to us…and that’s what we need to achieve ARISTA, motivation and support which we get from our family and most importantly – love. Thank you.
Written in Serbian
Puno te volimo I zelimo ti sve najbolje posto to je jedino sto ti zasluzujes.
Da budes ziva I zdrava I srecna I ima da prezivis jos sto 11ih septembara ili bombardovanja jer mi te stvarno volimo. Vlada I Dusan Septmbar 11 2002
Subtitles for writing in Serbian
We love you a lot and we wish you all the best because you deserve only the best.
We wish you to be alive and well. We know you could survive a 100 more September 11ths…
…or a 100 more bombings, because we really love you. Vlada and Dusan 9/11/02
Writen in English-Sign on fridge
World’s greatest mom
Spoken in Serbian
Vlada je nasao svoju drugaricu…ili devojku ili vec kako se to zove, poceo da izlazi sa njom…
…zapravo prvi put kad je izasao uopste , otisao je na… u setnju
U 3 popodne I rekao da ce ostati sat-dva.
I to je bilo prvi put kada je otisao, eto da kazem, na svoj prvi date ili prvi izlazak sa devojkom…
Ja znam koliko je on bio uzbudjen…
Ali je bilo jako smesno koliko samj ja bila uzbudjena taj dan.
Subtitles
Vlada found a friend, a girlfriend, I guess you call it, and they started going out…
…he first time they went out, they went for an afternoon walk.
He said they would stay out for a few hours.
That was his first date, the first time he went out with a girl…
He was so excited…
…but it was funny how excited I was that whole day…
Spoken
They are some girls that I skate , too. There is…She is kind of, my friend, and stuff…We hang out , like , a lot. She goes to Brooklyn Tech , now. That’s where I met her. Basicaly , like, one day… I was walking home and she came up to me and she, like, asked me if I skate, and I am , like, yeah, how would you know? And we started talking and stuff and I just found out that she lives just ten blocks away from my house. So I talk to her every day, on-line and on the phone and stuff and we go skating, like, on the weekends.
So, you have a girlfriend? –No.
Why? -Because.
Not hot enough? -No.
There is no one who can handle me that’s why.
Stop fixing your hair. -No, I wanna make it perfect.
No! -Why? I want to know, I always wanted to know. Are you a virgin?
Spoken in Serbian
Evo pricaj ti onda, ajde.
Moj brat se zaljubio u jednu devojcicu preko puta.
Sto zivi u kuci 47.
Pa, moj brat I ja smo stalno cekali nu.
Svaki put kad je vidim, ja ga pozovem.
Ali on dodje kasno, kad ona ode.
-I ne znate ni kako se zove ona?
A ne, posto ona izadje,,,ima mamu neku strogu.
I onda samo sto izadje, ona je zove, ona trci u kucu.
A propao mi ljubavni zivot.
A pricaj ti o svojoj devojci.
-Necu.
Ona je u Beogradu ostala.
Kako se ne brines da li ce da pogine tamo?
Boli me uvo.
Pa nije bas da te boli uvo.
A peva joj pesme razne tamo.
Dodje ispred vrata njene ucionice I onda joj peva tako razne pesme.
Subtitles
OK, then you tell him!
My brother fell in love with the girl next door.
She lives at house number 47.
My brother and me, we were always waiting for her to come out.
Every time I saw that she was out I would call him.
But he would always come too late, and she would already be gone.
-So, you don’t even know her name?
No…she comes out…Her mom seems very strict.
As soon as she goes out, her mom yells from the house, and she runs back.
My love life is ruined.
Now, you talk about your girlfriend.
-No!
She stayed in Belgrade.
Aren’t you worried that she might get killed there?
-I don’t care.
I don’t think so.
He used to serenade her.
He would go in front of her classroom door, and sing for her.
Singing
What a disaster, we are still in shock, who produced this schlock, that slimy sleazy, …what a bum!
Spoken
The bad stuff that may happen in a future is, maybe a bombing, I don’t know, maybe a world war III.
September 11th happened, it was a big tragic thing, but like, everyone… my mom was OK, which is a good thing. Bombing also, everyone was OK, so I basically think that we just gonna have to keep doing this thing, try to survive it, I guess.
And I don’t really think that it’s happening to me, specifically for some reason or… ‘Cause I am not the only one those things happen to, they are millions of other people.
Title/Caption
March 2003 Times Square, USA
Spoken
Today is March 30th 2003. In a few days it will be exactly four years since the first day we came.
Forecast: rain, high near 48. here is what’s news from Dow Jones: Front line: USA troops resume slow advance toward Baghdad while British forces push into Basra
Personally, I disagree with a whole idea of war, and so many other people do, but they don’t say: Oh no, I am not an American cause I disagree with it. Of course, there is always gonna be things you disagree with, and this one of them. But you don’t stop being something cause you just disagree with little part of it. I’m just disappointed in the way everything turned out. How Americans…some American politicians are treating the rest of the world.
Right now, that I know that’s important in a world is that there is a war USA against Iraq. And I think that want to catch Sadam Husein…and I don’t know…I just know it’s bad. Reminds me when it was a bombing in my country.
Sometimes with my mom I watch TV and I see bombs falling on Baghdad and Iraq and…it looks bad and scary. Feel bad for the people who live there.
This whole bombing of Baghdad and Iraq actually brings a lot of memories back. Cause whenever I look at TV and see bombs falling and everything burning, brings so many memories back. I can’t really watch it, I get really upset…cause, I remember everything that happened I remember how bad it was, and how bad I felt.
Spoken in Serbian
Isli smo u skloniste, nas je bilo tamo 15-ak.
Imali smo tamo krevete. Tamo smo provodili skoro celu noc I dan.
Kad dodjemo kuci, samo sto sednemo na krevet, ono vec pocnu opet sirene.
I tako, u sklonistu je bilo puno dece , svi su se uplasili.
Subtitles
We spent a lot of time in the bomb shelter. There were around 15 of us there.
We had beds down there. We would spend almost all of our time down there.
Every time we went upstairs, the air raid sirens would go off again.
There were a lot of kids in the shelter. We were all scared.
Spoken
When I grow up I am always gonna feel Serbian, but then I also might feel American, or something …but then I know that I always gonna feel Serbian, no matter what, cause that’s where I grew up and that’s where I feel my home is.
After few months in America my friends asked me how it was, I said it was fine, but I still like my country better.
We will be going back to our country on June 10. We will stay there for two and a half months. I missed everybody from there, I am happy to go. When the time comes we have to came back I will feel very sad, like I felt when we were coming last year. I was sad. I wasn’t happy because I got to come back, I rather stay there to play with my friends, but…
Well, the whole coming back here…Like everybody was saying-Oh, eventually…like my dad, he is, like-Oh, you gonna forget about us, blah-blah-blah, and then you never gonna come you gonna have your own girlfriend, your friends there. You gonna foget…you are not gonna want to come.
Well I totally changed in a last four years. Like right now, if I saw myself I was four years ago I ‘d probably laugh at myself, back then.’ Cause, like…I don’t know, I was totally like a little nerd, geek.
What was I thinking back then?
And it’s always, like, totally weird to me, like- Oh my God, like thank God I changed.
It’s May 26th 2003, Brooklyn, New York. My first year in High School- Brooklyn Tech.
And this whole year has been very different that lot of others. Lot of things have changed.
I never really taught that would happen. I could have sworn that it wouldn’t. I don’t know why but it was just like a… I don’t know, I just never…I could never see that.
I guess now it happened and it’s kind a like…it’s little weird, but, I mean…things change.
Well, yeah, this is the first year that I’m not really, like, all 100 % for going to Serbia.
I don’t know. I kind of, like, right now…I have a lot of friends right here, I totally got used to the way we live here.
I feel, like this is me, this where I live. I feel like I am going away from here and then I am gonna come back here, even though, last year was totally different. I felt like I was going back there and coming here.
I mean, that’s still is my home, but…
Spoken in Serbian
Ne, ne znam,…ne znam, ne znam da ti odgovorim na to.
Subtitle
…I don’t know, I don’t know what to answer.
Spoken in Serbian
Ja se zovem Vlada, ovo je moj brat Dusan. Mi smo iz Beograda.
Tamo je pocelo bobmardovanje u Sredu oko 8.
Subtitles
I am Vlada. This is my brother Dusan. We are from Belgrade.
The bombing started there on Wednsday around 8 pm.
Closing credits
Appearing
Vlada Zivanovic
Ljilja Zivanovic
Dusan Zivanovic
Ivana Jesic
Directed by Darko Lungulov
Music standing in lines
Camera Darko Lungulov
Additional camera Nikola Majdak Jr.
Editing Darko Lungulov
Sound Post Sound Janitors
Consultant Kim Snyder
Assistant editor Daniel Roe
Very special thanks to the Zivanovic family for letting me into their lives.
Special thanks to:
…names…
©here and there productions 2004