I've watched this film several times, the first time being in the late 90's, and then again just recently. It's truly an outstanding film that depicts the horrors faced by civilians in all wars, and how conflict and human suffering brings out both the best and worst in us.<br /><br />My wife is a Croatian citizen, and her family fled the country in the early 90's when the region first began to break apart, just hours away from being swept up into the war themselves. She was a teenager at the time, and she once told me that no one believed that the war would actually escalate so far, until before they realized it, a battle was being fought in the neighboring town a few miles away. Her parents made a wise decision to drop everything, grab the kids, and head for the border... Someone told them that just hours after they left, the roads out were blocked, and men were being conscripted into the army to fight. Fight for what? Her mother is a catholic Croatian and her father is an orthodox Serbian. Now all of a sudden, they are supposed to be enemies? A tale played out over and over in human history, yet we still have not learned our lesson.<br /><br />I also had the chance to visit the region, specifically Croatia, in 1999. Most of the parts that I visited were still in shambles, with almost every structure in ruins. Go outside and take a good look at the neighborhood that you live in. Now imagine 99% of the homes either completely leveled, or so damaged that they are uninhabitable. Anyone who thinks that war is glamorous, like Hollywood almost always portrays it, should visit a war torn country sometime. WHAT A WASTE!!! That's the Croatia that I saw in the 90's.<br /><br />Last month, I went back for my second visit, 7 years later. Wow, what a difference. The people of Croatia, along with the United Nations, have been busy rebuilding. Croatia is truly a beautiful country. The coast is extremely beautiful, and the National parks Plitvitce and Krka are beyond words. I see hope returning to the area....