Life Is a Miracle

Life Is a Miracle

Year: 2004

Runtime: 155 mins

Language: Serbian

Director: Emir Kusturica

RomanceDramaComedyCrude humor and satireSurreal and thought-provoking visions of life and death

Set during the early‑1990s Bosnian war, railway clerk Luka watches his life unravel as the conflict begins and his wife leaves him for a local musician. When his son is conscripted and captured, Luka is ordered to guard a young Muslim nurse destined for a hostage swap. The assignment forces him to face personal loss amid the brutal realities of war.

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Timeline & Setting – Life Is a Miracle (2004)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Life Is a Miracle (2004). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1992

The narrative unfolds in 1992 during the early stages of the Yugoslav conflicts. War erupts around Croatia and spills into Bosnia and Serbia, shaping everyday routines around danger and uncertainty. The plot highlights UN-brokered prisoner exchanges and the fragile idea of freedom amid chaos.

Location

Eastern Bosnia, Western Serbia

Set in the mountainous borderlands between eastern Bosnia and western Serbia, the film centers on a newly completed railway that links the two regions. The border station becomes a focal point of daily life amid looming conflict. Its desolate yet strategic setting amplifies the characters' hopes, fears, and chances for escape.

🏔️ Mountainous region 🌉 Cross-border area 🚉 Railway hub

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:45

Main Characters – Life Is a Miracle (2004)

Meet the key characters of Life Is a Miracle (2004), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Luka

Luka is a Serbian engineer who moves his family to run a railway station in a war-torn border region. He is utterly devoted to his work and remains optimistic even as war disrupts life around him. His practicality and stubborn hope push him to make morally tricky choices, including attempting to trade Sabaha to save his son Miloš.

⚙️ Engineer 💡 Optimistic 🧭 Family man

Miloš Đurić (Vuk Kostić)

Miloš is a football-hopeful who is drafted into the Serbian army as conflict erupts. He loses the chance to join Partizan and becomes a prisoner, testing his resilience and his bond with his father and family. His capture injects personal stakes into the broader violence of war.

⚽ Footballer 💪 Resilient 🛡️ Loyal

Jadranka Đurić (Vesna Trivalić)

Jadranka is Luka's mentally unstable wife who accompanies the family to the border. She disappears on the arm of a Hungarian musician, adding mystery and tension to the family’s crisis. She eventually returns, illustrating the fragile state of relationships under stress.

🧠 Complex 💔 Fragile 🧭 Unstable

Sabaha (Nataša Tapušković)

Sabaha is a Bosnian Muslim woman who becomes Luka's hostage and later his romantic partner. The two are forced to flee deeper into Serb-controlled territory, and her presence catalyzes Luka's moral decisions. She is wounded during a Bosnian sniper attack and ultimately exchanged to free Miloš.

🕊️ Resilient 💗 Romantic 🧭 Central

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:45

Major Themes – Life Is a Miracle (2004)

Explore the central themes of Life Is a Miracle (2004), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🕊️ War and Humanity

In the midst of violence, strangers become allies and love can blur ethnic divides. Luka and Sabaha's bond grows as they flee deeper into the war zone, testing compassion over prejudice. The story uses intimate relationships to show how empathy survives even when the world outside collapses. The film suggests that small acts of mercy can outlast the chaos of conflict.

💔 Love vs Loyalty

Luka's attempt to exchange Sabaha for his son Miloš pits personal affection against family duty. Jadranka's disappearance and later return highlight how relationships are strained and reassembled by war. Miloš's captivity adds pressure, forcing choices that reveal each character's loyalties. The romance between Luka and Sabaha complicates loyalties and fuels the emotional core.

🚂 Hope and Survival

The railway line embodies a fragile lifeline—an avenue toward safety even as it carries people into danger. Prisoner exchanges and the attempt to cross the Drina underscore the precariousness of freedom. Nurses and medics stand as beacons of care amid the chaos, emphasizing resilience. The ending hints that survival may ride on stubborn chances, like a mule carrying them toward a new dawn.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 14:45

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Life Is a Miracle Summary

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Life Is a Miracle Summary

Life Is a Miracle Timeline

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Life Is a Miracle Timeline

Life Is a Miracle Spoiler-Free Summary

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Life Is a Miracle Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Life Is a Miracle

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