Visiting Fulbright scholar and media policy researcher Mirza Mehmedovic, of Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina, will lead a screening of the 1997 movie Welcome to Sarajevo on Wednesday, March 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Sage Hall, Room 1210, at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.
Mehmedovic will give an introduction and lead a talk-back session about the movie, which is based on the true story of a war correspondent in the former Yugoslavia who promises refuge to a girl orphaned during the siege of Sarajevo.
The free event is sponsored by the journalism department, Photo Club, History Club, University Honors Student Association, and the UWO chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.
Mehmedovic said Welcome to Sarajevo, which he first watched as a teenager, depicts elements of human suffering that could apply to any war zone in the world and captures how complicated the situation can be for foreign journalists who cover such conflicts.
Mehmedovic arrived in Oshkosh in August as part of the Fulbright Student Program for the 2014-2015 academic year. He is working on his doctoral research to compare the media systems in Europe and U.S. and to develop a model for improving the system in Bosnia.
“Mirza has added an important dimension to the journalism department this year, because he is able to provide Oshkosh students with new perspectives on issues they may take for granted, such as the role of the media in a democratic society,” said UWO professor Miles Maguire. “From the outside, the media systems of the United States and Europe may look very similar, but there are significant differences in how they are funded and how they function. This comparative approach is important for our students because it lets them see that there are alternative ways of providing news and information.”
While on campus, Mehmedovic also has had the opportunity to share information about the Bosnian culture and history with UW Oshkosh students.
Mehmedovic plans to return to Bosnia in May to finish is doctoral degree at the University of Tuzla, where he works as a senior teaching assistant.