Not So Friendly Neighborhood Affair

The film takes place in Baščaršija, the historic bazaar heart of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. This iconic area is known for its winding lanes, traditional cafés, and famous ćevapi stalls. In the movie, the bazaar struggles with closed shops and slow recovery amid the pandemic, blending traditional street life with the pressures of a city trying to rebound.

The story unfolds in May 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Masks are common, social life is restricted, and businesses face hardship as restrictions bite and unemployment rises. This specific time period anchors the tension between livelihoods, community survival, and the rapid shift to digital influence.

Baščaršija is the historic bazaar and commercial heart of Sarajevo, dating back to the Ottoman era. It features traditional architecture, numerous ćevapi restaurants, coffee houses, and craft shops. The movie portrays this beloved neighborhood as it fights to stay open during the pandemic, capturing the struggle between preserving tradition and surviving economic hardship.

The film explores three interconnected themes: Social Media and its power to shape local businesses through influencer attention; Conflict between two ćevapi makers that blurs the lines between business rivalry and personal loyalties; and the Crisis caused by COVID-19 which squeezes small businesses and forces characters to adapt, borrow money, or consider leaving the country.

Gordana Matić is a Zagreb-based gastro vlogger who travels to Baščaršija to sample the best ćevapi. Her visit acts as a catalyst that sparks online hype and unintended consequences for local shops,complicating personal and business relationships during a time of crisis. She represents the power and unpredictability of social media influence.

Enes is a Sarajevo businessman whose finances are deteriorating as the pandemic hits. He orchestrates visits to local establishments to lift spirits, including sending Gordana to Izo's café, but his fragile financial situation pushes him toward desperate measures like approaching loan sharks. He embodies the pressures faced by small business owners during the crisis.

Izo is the owner of a café in Baščaršija whose morning coffee ritual and shop become central to the story. He navigates the strain of reduced customers during lockdowns and rivalry with Enes, while dealing with the ripple effects of family tensions in a locked-down city. He represents the resilient local business owner trying to survive unprecedented challenges.

COVID-19 and the resulting economic decline serve as the backdrop that amplifies all conflicts in the film. Small businesses in the historic bazaar face hardship as restrictions close shops and unemployment rises. The pandemic forces characters to adapt, borrow money, or consider leaving the country, creating desperation that fuels the central conflict between the two ćevapi makers.

The central conflict involves two ćevapi makers in Baščaršija clashing over quality and pride. This business rivalry pulls in families and lovers, threatening the neighborhood's social fabric as lines blur between professional competition and personal loyalties. The influencer's visit intensifies this rivalry by creating sudden hype that benefits one vendor over the other.

The film explores how online platforms and an influencer's visit can dramatically reshape customer choices and local competition. Gordana's vlog drives hype around where to get the best ćevapi, showing both the potential benefits and disruptive consequences of social media attention on traditional small businesses already struggling for survival.

The film has a bittersweet tone, blending struggles during the pandemic, including business ruin and involvement with loan sharks, with strands of hope and human connection, such as a developing love affair and Izo's resilient good mood. The intensity remains medium, focusing more on gradual collapse than overwhelming suspense.