Title
HOTEL EUROPA

A drama about one hotel, five eras, and the endless search for dignity, belonging, and truth. Hotel Europa is a multilayered dramatic work spanning five key historical moments; from Austro-Hungarian Sarajevo in 1882, through the pre-war and wartime turbulence of 1941, the political purges of 1948–1961, the ideological unraveling of 1989, to a projected future in 2025. It explores identity, belonging, collective memory, and personal trauma, all grounded in the symbolic and literal space of a single hotel.

Biography

Arma Tanović Branković (Sarajevo, 1978) is a Bosnian actress, director, screenwriter, and educator. She is an Associate Professor of Acting at the Academy of Performing Arts in Sarajevo and currently serves as the University’s vice-rector for art, artistic research, culture, and sport. Her acting career spans theater, film, and television, including roles in Romeo and Juliet, Uncle Vanya, The Seagull, and the HBO MAX series Znam kako dišeš (2023). As a writer and director, she has created adaptations such as House on Mango Street and Normal People, as well as original works including #DIJETEJEDIJETE (2019) and Romeo i Julija iz dvije škole pod istim krovom (2022). She is also co-writer of the series Natali in Sarajevo (2024). In addition to her artistic work, she leads Drama Kids Academy Sarajevo, collaborates with organizations like UNICEF and the British Council on theater for social change, and is an award-winning teacher and visual artist.

Saida Mustajbegović (Prijepolje, 1976) is a Bosnian writer, poet, director, and sociologist based in Sarajevo. Educated in sociology, literature, and journalism, her diverse background shapes a body of work that spans fiction, poetry, biography, and documentary film. Her books include The House Without a Roof (2017), Unworn Dreams (2023), and Ani Radošević: The Poetess of the Movement (2024). Her award-winning documentary Colors and Rhythms of Turmoil – Collegium Artisticum 1939–1941 (2023) explores the legacy of engaged art in the Balkans. Recipient of multiple literary and film awards, Mustajbegović’s work is deeply rooted in questions of identity, trauma, and history in the region.