“The convoy was the forerunner of peace and incentive for the conflicted parties to make peace”, are the words heard in the documentary “The White Road”, screened on Friday evening within Home Authors program at the Mediterranean Film Festival.

The film speaks about the convoy organized in Croatia in 1993 to bring food and medicine to improvised war hospital in Nova Bila. These parts were completely surrounded by the Army of BH troops, and the hospital, which was located in the church, was full of wounded that were dying due to shortage of essential medicines and medical equipment.

Friar Iko Skoko, who was one of the participants of the convoy, underlined the kindness as the essence of life.

“We can always, always, always do good, no matter the circumstances”, is Iko Skoko’s short message.

Surgeon Ivan Tabak, who was in Nova Bila at the time, said that it was a lot worse than in the film, and the then health commanding officer, today’s manager of Health Centre in Tomislavgrad, said that everyone can be a person in need. 

“The hospitals in Orašje, Nova Bila and Mostar sprang up from this goodness. This can only be done in communion. When I think of our helplessness and our ignorance, our insignificance and the thing we did, I think that’s a God’s gift”, he said.

This was the biggest humanitarian action after the Second World War, and after the White Road humanitarian corridors were made to help all the civilians in B&H, regardless of nation and religion. 

The film has some semi-fiction scenes, which were created on the basis of written evidence and testimonies, to reconstruct some events that could not be recorded by camera in those war times. 

Film participants: Slobodan Lang, Ante Damjanović, Tihomir Perić, Tihomir Blaškić, Džemal Merdan, Branko Čulo, Ivan Bagarić, Mate Granić, Miro Jakovljević, friar Zoran Livančić, friar Velimir Valjan, friar Iko Skoko, friar Stipo Karajica, Meri Vlaić, Sally Backer...

The film, created by Production Kadar from Široki Brijeg, was screened in Nova Bila, Zagreb, Mostar, Osijek, Busovača, Tomislavgrad, Zenica, Posušje and at Sarajevo Film Festival within BH Program. 

Mediterranean Film Festival is taking place till August 26 in Široki Brijeg. The competition has twelve feature documentaries competing for Grand Prix – Jack Daniels and ten short documentaries competing for the Best Short award. The audience also chooses the best film for the Audience Award.