Life Is a Miracle 2004

Opening of the railway and family relocation

The film opens with the completion of a railway linking eastern Bosnia and western Serbia in 1992. Luka, his wife Jadranka, and his football-loving son Miloš relocate to manage a Bosnian station. Luka is absorbed in his work, largely unaware of the simmering tensions around him.

Miloš's football dream

Miloš trains and dreams of becoming a professional footballer with Partizan, balancing ambition with his father's expectations. The pre-war calm allows him to chase matches and tryouts, even as the city’s mood begins to shift. His dream anchors the family before conflict disrupts everything.

War erupts and Miloš is conscripted; Jadranka vanishes

As fighting breaks out, Miloš is drafted into the Serbian army, ending his football ambitions for the moment. At the same time, Jadranka disappears, leaving Luka to confront the widening chaos alone. The household fractures as danger encroaches from all sides.

Miloš becomes a prisoner

Luka receives the devastating news that Miloš has been taken prisoner of war, amplifying his sense of helplessness. He clings to the hope of a future reunion despite the grim realities of captivity. The family’s fate now hinges on distant negotiations and luck.

Luka contemplates suicide

Overwhelmed by fear and loss, Luka contemplates ending his life to escape the unbearable pressure. He struggles with what it would mean to protect his remaining family under such impossible circumstances. The moment marks a drastic emotional pivot in the story.

Sabaha enters as a hostage

A profiteering acquaintance delivers Sabaha, a Bosnian Muslim, to Luka as a potential hostage for a prisoner exchange. The morally gray arrangement unsettles Luka and forces him to weigh the danger Sabaha faces against his own desires. Her presence immediately shifts the dynamics of the situation.

Sabaha and Luka flee and plan an exchange

Luka decides to exchange Sabaha for Miloš, and they are driven deeper into Serb-controlled territory. Their flight under siege conditions binds them in a precarious alliance. The plan to swap captives becomes the thread pulling them toward uncertain safety.

They fall in love

During their dangerous journey, Luka and Sabaha form a bond that blossoms into love despite the brutality surrounding them. The line between captor and captive blurs as trust grows amid artillery fire and shifting loyalties. Their relationship adds a powerful, conflicted layer to the escape.

UN-enforced prisoner exchange

An UN-enforced prisoner exchange is arranged, offering a path toward freeing Miloš and the other captives. The forthcoming swap becomes a beacon of hope amid the dangers of the war zone. Luka and Sabaha become pivotal to the exchange’s success.

Crossing the Drina; Sabaha wounded

Luka and Sabaha attempt to cross the Drina River back toward Serbia, seeking safety and reunion. A Bosnian sniper wounds Sabaha as she crouches behind a tree, dramatically raising the stakes for both of them. The crossing becomes a crucible of courage and desperation.

Nurses save Sabaha and exchange is completed

Army nurses save Sabaha’s life, enabling her to be exchanged for Miloš along with other prisoners. The forced separation is undone in part, and Miloš is returned to his family. The exchange ends one chapter of captivity but leaves emotional wounds and new tensions.

Jadranka returns; family reunites

Jadranka returns to the family, and they gather again in their old home, trying to rebuild amid the memories of war. The reunion brings relief mixed with the haunting echoes of loss and fear. The house becomes a site of both solace and fragility.

Luka's despair and Sabaha's presence

Luka lies down in front of a train, overwhelmed by longing and uncertainty after the reunion. In a twist, the train stops to avoid hitting a mule, and Sabaha is on board, signaling a new, precarious future. The moment mixes tragedy with a plea for hope.