The museum exhibition "Walter Defends Sarajevo" at Bistrik Station is dedicated to the cult film of Bosnian cinematography. The museum, a project of the Sarajevo Film Centre, opened on April 6, 2019, on Dženetića Čikma Street. The opening of this first film museum in this part of Europe generated great public interest, as well as interest from tourists in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the region, and the world, especially in China.
The film "Walter Defends Sarajevo" by Hajrudin Šiba Krvavac is a masterpiece of Yugoslav and Bosnian-Herzegovinian cinematography, and more than that. The film has become one of the hallmarks of Sarajevo's anti-fascist tradition and has had a huge impact on mass culture in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the region, while its popularity in China is an almost unbelievable social phenomenon.
The museum's exhibition itself was created by reconstructing scenes and other elements from the film using set design elements, wax figures of the director and main characters from the film, costumes, props, accompanying material, and audio-visual technologies. The author of the museum's idea and concept is film director Jasmin Duraković, while a large number of professionals from the film and creative industry of Sarajevo and Bosnia and Herzegovina worked on its exhibition.
The film takes place in Sarajevo in 1944. Prompted by the loss of Belgrade and the advance of the Soviet army and partisans, German army leaders in the Balkans launch Operation "Laufer", the aim of which is to deliver fuel to military vehicles to begin their retreat to Germany. But first, they must disable the Sarajevo resistance movement led by the mysterious illegal operative Valter. While the German intelligence officer "Condor" infiltrates the resistance movement, posing as Valter, the real Valter uncovers the German plan. Illegal operatives, led by the mysterious "Pilot", arrive in Sarajevo with the task of exposing "Condor".
the character is a free interpretation of the biography of Vladimir Perić, the real anti-fascist commander of illegal anti-fascist fighters in Sarajevo during World War II.
The band Zabranjeno pušenje named their first album "Das ist Walter" in honour of the film. The first song from the album has musical accompaniment from the end of the film.
A large part of the film Walter Defends Sarajevo was shot at real locations in Sarajevo, including streets, bridges, and industrial zones that were part of the authentic wartime scenery. These real environments gave the film a special realism that you can still recognize today through the museum exhibition.
