A young Bosnian boy named Haris describes what it was like to have his family slaughtered by Serbs. His voice-over narration is accompanied by hand-painted animation that fits well with his tale, which means the more gruesome stuff is left to the imagination. It only somewhat works.
Children who see this short film will understand that war is a horrible thing, and they will sympathize with Haris as he recounts how Serbs hit his grandmother in the head with a hammer. Adults, however, won’t be as moved; the animation won’t score big with them. They need to see honest photographs and live action footage of the atrocities their peer group helps commit. The subtle animation used here, any cel of which would be right at home in a doctor’s waiting room, gives the horrors a watered down feeling. End result: “A Conversation With Haris” may work with children, but adults should stick with alternative news sources to get the full picture.
