Bosnian War Posters

Filmmaker Sarhandi (Evil Doesn’t Live Here) delivers an unusual history of the Bosnian War (1992–1995) focused on propaganda posters created and distributed by various players in the conflict. Noting that posters “were a cheap and effective way of disseminating information” at a time when normal communications were disrupted and most news came by word of mouth, Sarhandi describes “rival ideological groups” tearing down each other’s work; profiles members of the Tio design studio in Sarajevo, the Forum of Tuzla Citizens, and other activist collectives; lucidly explains the Balkans’ complex political, religious, and ethnic divisions; and sketches how the rise of nationalist parties in Serbia and Croatia contributed to the conflict. But the book shines in its presentation and analysis of the posters themselves, many of which reappropriated imagery from the Spanish Civil War and WWII or recast commercial iconography (Mickey Mouse, Coca-Cola) in order to make their case. Detailed captions explain the meaning and background of each artwork, shedding light on the origins of anti-Muslim sentiment in Croatia, the horrors of the siege of Sarajevo, and Serbian nationalists’ use of Vietnam War imagery to warn the U.S. to stay out of the conflict. Handsomely presented and rigorously detailed, this is a captivating look at the art of propaganda. (May)