Sarajevo Safari
Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6-2PJDU2Zo
Between 1992 and 1996, the city of Sarajevo was under siege during the Bosnian War. For almost four years, residents lived with artillery bombardment, sniper fire, shortages and the constant danger of crossing the city's streets.
Sarajevo became internationally known for the extreme conditions experienced by its civilian population. People had to find ways to obtain food, water and electricity while attempting to continue their daily lives under extraordinary circumstances.
The story explored in the documentary Sarajevo Safari, directed by Slovenian filmmaker Miran Zupanič, focuses on a particularly disturbing allegation connected with the siege.
According to witnesses interviewed for the documentary, wealthy foreigners allegedly travelled to areas around Sarajevo controlled by Bosnian Serb forces and paid for the opportunity to shoot at people in the city.
The alleged participants have been described as "tourist snipers", while the activity itself became known as a kind of human safari.
The idea is shocking because the people allegedly involved were not simply soldiers fighting in a war. According to the accounts presented in the film, they were outsiders who supposedly travelled to a conflict zone for the experience of shooting at human beings.
The documentary examines testimony from people who claim to have had knowledge of these activities. It also presents interviews and other material intended to reconstruct what may have happened during the siege.
The subject became particularly controversial because the allegations are extraordinary and emotionally disturbing. Some people believe the witnesses provide important information about a little-known aspect of the war, while others have questioned the reliability of the claims.
This raises an important distinction between a documentary and a historical record.
A documentary can present a witness, a personal account or a source of information. It can bring an issue into the public spotlight and encourage people to investigate a subject further. However, viewers still have to consider the quality of the evidence and ask whether different accounts can be independently corroborated, or confirmed by other information.
The documentary first appeared internationally in 2022, bringing the Sarajevo Safari story to a much wider audience.
Several years later, Italian journalist and writer Ezio Gavazzeni developed the subject further in his book I cecchini del weekend, published in Spanish in 2026 as Safaris humanos: La investigación sobre el negocio de la muerte en Sarajevo.
The Spanish edition was published by Ediciones Península on 16 September 2026 and is 328 pages long.
Gavazzeni's book presents a detailed account of the alleged phenomenon and attempts to reconstruct how these so-called "safaris" were organised. It includes testimony from people described as witnesses and sources connected to the story.
One of the most disturbing elements described in accounts surrounding the book is the idea that different amounts of money were allegedly associated with different human targets.
The book therefore focuses not only on the violence itself but also on the idea of money transforming violence into a form of entertainment or tourism.
This is where the concept of dehumanisation becomes important.
Dehumanisation occurs when people are treated as objects rather than as human beings with individual lives, families and emotions.
The alleged Sarajevo Safari phenomenon presents an extreme example of this idea: people living through a terrifying war may have been viewed by outsiders as targets rather than as human beings.
The story has also attracted discussion because of the concept of impunity — the idea that someone can commit a serious act without facing consequences.
For the people who experienced the siege, the Sarajevo Safari story is connected to memories of fear, violence and survival. For journalists and writers such as Zupanič and Gavazzeni, it raises questions about how hidden stories from a war can eventually come to public attention.
The subject also raises questions about accountability.
Who should be responsible when wealthy outsiders enter a conflict zone?
What happens when money gives people access to experiences that ordinary civilians would never have?
Can violence become a form of entertainment?
And what happens when the victims are treated as distant, anonymous figures rather than individual human beings?
1. VOCABULARY MATCH — PART 1
Match the words 1–8 with the correct meanings A–H.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. siege | A. a person who sees or experiences something and can provide information about it |
| 2. allegation | B. a person who is not a member of the armed forces |
| 3. witness | C. a situation in which a city or area is surrounded during a conflict |
| 4. testimony | D. a claim that someone has done something wrong, especially when it has not been proven |
| 5. evidence | E. a statement or account describing something that someone says happened |
| 6. investigate | F. information that helps establish whether something is true |
| 7. civilian | G. to examine something carefully in order to discover facts |
| 8.controversial | H. causing disagreement or strong differences of opinion |
2. VOCABULARY MATCH — PART 2
Match the words 1–8 with the correct meanings A–H.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1. dehumanisation | A. the responsibility to explain or justify actions |
| 2. accountability | B. a person or organisation that provides information |
| 3. target | C. treating people as if they are objects rather than human beings |
| 4. impunity | D. information or material used to understand an event |
| 5. backlash | E. freedom from punishment or negative consequences |
| 6. corroborate | F. a strong negative reaction to something |
| 7. spotlight | G. to provide additional information that confirms another account |
| 8. source | H. a person or thing deliberately selected to be attacked or affected |
3. SYNONYM MATCH
Match the words with their synonyms.
| Word | Synonym |
|---|---|
| 1. allegation | a. confirm |
| 2. controversial | b. claim |
| 3. investigate | c. disputed |
| 4. disturbing | d. objectification |
| 5. corroborate | e. troubling |
| 6. source | f. extended |
| 7. prolonged | g. origin |
| 8. dehumanisation | h. examine |
4. ROLE PLAY — THE DOCUMENTARY
You are taking part in a discussion after watching Sarajevo Safari.
A — Documentary filmmaker
You believe the witnesses should be heard and that the story deserves international attention.
B — Journalist
You want to understand the story but believe every extraordinary claim needs careful examination.
C — Sarajevo resident
You lived through the siege and believe the outside world needs to understand what life was like inside the city.
D — Film critic
You are interested in how documentaries influence audiences and how filmmakers decide which stories to tell.
Discuss
Why might the story have remained relatively unknown for so long?
What makes the allegations so disturbing?
How can documentaries influence our understanding of history?
How important is eyewitness testimony?
Can a filmmaker remain completely neutral?
What makes a source credible?
5. ROLE PLAY — THE BOOK
You have just read Ezio Gavazzeni's Safaris humanos.
A — Gavazzeni
Explain why you decided to investigate the story.
B — Reader
Ask questions about the sources and testimony used in the book.
C — Journalist
Question how the story was researched and reconstructed.
D — Historian
Discuss the importance of recording stories from wars before witnesses and survivors disappear.
Discuss
Why might a journalist spend years investigating an old story?
What can a book reveal that a documentary cannot?
Can written testimony be more powerful than visual testimony?
Why do some historical stories remain hidden?
How can a journalist investigate something that happened decades ago?
6. WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
You are making a documentary about the Sarajevo Safari story.
You have several interviews but some witnesses disagree about specific details.
Choose one:
A. Include all the accounts and allow viewers to compare them.
B. Focus only on the accounts you consider most convincing.
C. Continue interviewing people until you find more consistent information.
D. Include the disagreements as part of the story.
E. Concentrate on the historical background rather than the disputed details.
F. Your own approach.
Explain your decision.
7. THE DOCUMENTARY MAKER
You are producing a documentary about an extremely disturbing historical event.
You want the film to be powerful, but you do not want to turn human suffering into entertainment.
Discuss
Would you use:
graphic photographs?
emotional music?
interviews with survivors?
interviews with people who disagree with the allegations?
historical footage?
anonymous witnesses?
dramatic reconstructions?
Question
Where should a documentary filmmaker draw the line between informing the audience and sensationalising suffering?
8. THE WITNESS
Imagine you are a person who lived in Sarajevo during the siege.
A documentary filmmaker asks you to describe your experiences.
How would you feel about:
A. Speaking publicly?
B. Remaining anonymous?
C. Appearing on camera?
D. Allowing your story to be translated into other languages?
E. Having your testimony included in a book?
F. Having your story used decades later?
Discuss your choices.
9. WAR AND HUMAN NATURE
Discuss.
Why do people become interested in war?
Why might someone travel to a conflict zone?
Can curiosity about war become unhealthy?
Why are some people attracted to extreme experiences?
Can money change the way people behave?
Does wealth create more opportunities for immoral behaviour?
Why might distance from suffering reduce empathy?
Can watching violence become a form of entertainment?
Quick question
Why might someone want to experience a war without actually having to live through it?
10. THE SARAJEVO EXPERIENCE
Imagine you are a journalist writing about daily life during the siege of Sarajevo.
Choose five aspects of life to investigate:
→ food shortages
→ water
→ electricity
→ public transport
→ schools
→ hospitals
→ sniper fire
→ bomb shelters
→ communication
→ crossing dangerous streets
→ family life
→ entertainment
Discuss
Which five would help a reader understand everyday life in Sarajevo?
Why?
11. FAMOUS PROTEST MOVEMENTS — WHAT MADE THEM SIGNIFICANT?
Throughout modern history, different protest movements have attracted international attention.
Choose ONE movement. Research it and discuss what happened, why people protested, how the movement developed and what impact it had.
A. The Salt March — India, 1930
Led by Mahatma Gandhi, the movement challenged British colonial rule and the British salt monopoly.
B. The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising — Poland, 1943
Jewish resistance fighters in Nazi-occupied Warsaw fought against the German attempt to deport the remaining Jewish population.
C. The Anti-Franco Opposition — Spain, 1939–1975
Different political, social, student and labour groups opposed Francisco Franco's dictatorship in Spain.
D. The Prague Spring — Czechoslovakia, 1968
Reformers attempted to introduce political and social changes before the movement was suppressed by Warsaw Pact forces.
E. The Anti-Apartheid Movement — South Africa
Activists and organisations challenged apartheid and racial segregation through protests, campaigns, strikes and international pressure.
F. The Sarajevo Protests — Bosnia and Herzegovina, 2014
Protests began over unemployment, corruption and economic conditions and spread to several cities.
G. The 2019–2020 Hong Kong Protests
Large demonstrations developed around proposed changes to extradition legislation and later expanded into a wider movement concerning political freedoms and governance.
H. Gaza Protests and Demonstrations
Research a major protest movement connected to Gaza and examine its background, demands, participants, international reaction and methods of protest.
For your chosen movement, discuss:
What triggered the movement?
Who participated?
What methods of protest were used?
How did governments respond?
How did the international media portray the movement?
What made the movement memorable?
What happened afterwards?
12. WHAT MAKES A DOCUMENTARY EFFECTIVE?
Choose the five most important elements.
powerful interviews
historical footage
photographs
personal stories
music
expert opinions
shocking information
emotional testimony
statistics
dramatic reconstruction
archive material
different points of view
Discuss
Which elements make audiences pay attention?
Which can make a documentary more emotionally powerful?
Which can make it more credible?
13. THE POWER OF TESTIMONY
Read the statements.
A
"I was there. I remember what happened."
B
"I heard about it from someone who was there."
C
"I saw it on television."
D
"I read about it in a book."
E
"I found documents about it in an archive."
Discuss
Which type of information would you consider most useful?
Can personal memories change over time?
Can a person remember something accurately but misunderstand what they saw?
Can several people remember the same event differently?
14. DOCUMENTARY OR BOOK?
Compare Sarajevo Safari and Safaris humanos.
DOCUMENTARY
What advantages does film have?
→ facial expressions
→ voices
→ photographs
→ locations
→ archival footage
→ emotional impact
BOOK
What advantages does a book have?
→ more detail
→ more background
→ more space for sources
→ greater opportunity to explain events
→ ability to describe complex information
Discuss
If you wanted to learn about the Sarajevo Safari story, would you prefer to:
watch the documentary, read the book, or do both?
Explain why.
15. MONEY AND MORALITY
Imagine that someone is offered a large amount of money to participate in an extremely dangerous activity during a war.
Would money change your decision?
Now imagine:
€10,000
€100,000
€1 million
€10 million
Discuss
Does money change people's moral boundaries?
Can extreme wealth create a sense of detachment?
Why might wealthy people seek experiences that ordinary people cannot access?
Is there a difference between paying to observe a conflict and paying to participate in it?
Can money turn almost anything into a commercial experience?
16. THE BUSINESS OF WAR
The Sarajevo Safari story has been described as an extreme form of war tourism.
Discuss the different ways people can experience war without being ordinary soldiers.
Examples
journalists
photographers
documentary filmmakers
aid workers
tourists
weapons manufacturers
military contractors
historians
researchers
photographers
political activists
Discuss
Why do outsiders enter war zones?
Is it possible to observe war without becoming part of the story?
Can war tourism ever be ethical?
Why are people fascinated by dangerous places?
When does curiosity become exploitation?
17. THE SARAJEVO SAFARI CONTROVERSY
Read the statements.
Statement A
"The documentary has brought an extraordinary story to international attention."
Statement B
"Extraordinary stories require careful examination."
Statement C
"Personal testimony can reveal aspects of history that official accounts may overlook."
Statement D
"A documentary can influence the way audiences understand historical events."
Statement E
"A book can provide a deeper and more detailed exploration of a story."
Discuss
Do you agree with the statements?
Can several of them be true at the same time?
18. RAPID-FIRE SCENARIOS
1.
You are making a documentary about Sarajevo.
A survivor gives you an emotional story.
What do you ask them next?
2.
A witness remembers an event differently from another witness.
How do you handle the disagreement?
3.
A journalist discovers a previously unknown photograph.
What questions would you ask about it?
4.
A documentary becomes extremely popular on social media.
What effect could this have on people's understanding of the story?
5.
You are writing a book about an event that happened 30 years ago.
What sources would you look for?
6.
Someone tells you:
"Everyone already knows what happened."
Would you accept that answer?
7.
You discover that a famous historical story has been simplified over time.
Would you try to present a more complicated version?
8.
You are interviewing someone about a traumatic historical event.
What responsibilities does the interviewer have?
9.
A documentary uses dramatic music during an emotional interview.
Does this strengthen or weaken the documentary?
10.
You are given two completely different accounts of the same event.
How would you decide how to present them?
19. FILL IN THE BLANKS
Word Bank
allegation — testimony — siege — witness — evidence — backlash — investigate — civilian — accountability — source — impunity — corroborate
Sarajevo experienced a prolonged __________ during the Bosnian War.
The documentary presents an extraordinary __________ about wealthy foreigners allegedly participating in sniper attacks.
The filmmakers interviewed people who provided __________ about what they claimed had happened.
A __________ who experienced an event can provide valuable personal information.
Journalists need reliable __________ before presenting a historical claim.
A journalist may need to __________ a story for many years before understanding it fully.
The people living inside Sarajevo were largely __________ rather than foreign visitors.
A documentary can receive a strong __________ if audiences disagree with its message.
A journalist may need to find another independent source to __________ an important claim.
Historical discussions often focus on who should accept __________ for their actions.
The idea that people can commit serious acts without consequences is known as __________.
A journalist should always consider the reliability of the __________ providing information.
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