Study Guide
Psychology
Questions for Discussion
Post-traumatic stress disorder is common among those who have experienced war. Based on watching the people interviewed in Crucible of War, who would you say is most likely to be suffering from PTSD? How can you tell?
Dusana, one of the teacher interviewed in the documentary, recounts a painful childhood memory that happened to her mother during World War II. Although her mother survived, the family never talked about it again after the war. What impact do you think this had on Dusana when she grew up? What impact did it have on her when she saw war return to her country?
Both Fra. Ivo (the priest) and Nikola (the veteran from Vukovar) lost people close to them during the war. Yet their outlooks are so different. From a psychological perspective, what guesses might you make as to why this is?
One of the major themes of the film is fear. Leon, the filmmaker, was initially surprised when he saw how fearful his cousin was and later had to face his own fears. Why do you think it was such a surprise to him?
Activity
In the film, Goran, a young refugee from Zagreb, Croatia (who now lives in Belgrade, Serbia), says that he doesn't feel sorry for his old city or its people, but just about the life he lost there. You can read more of what he and his parents had to say here. Take the role of Goran and write a letter to one of your old friends from Zagreb.