International Center for Cultural Studies

側記｜Film Screening & Discussion｜The Diary of Diana B.: A true story about the best of people in the worst of times

2025-05-16

Topic｜Film Screening & Discussion｜The Diary of Diana B.: A true story about the best of people in the worst of times

Time｜2025/05/16 05:00 – 07:15 PM

Venue｜106A, HA Building II, Hsinchu Guangfu Campus, NYCU

Director and producer｜Dana Budisavljević (Hulahop Production Company) (Online Participation)

Discussant｜Yuan Horng Chu (Professor Emeritus, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University)

Moderator｜Dr Merima Omeragić (Postdoctoral Fellow, International Center for Cultural Studies, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University)

Event Info｜LINK

Event Photo｜LINK

Reported by｜Dr Merima Omeragić

Sub-project｜Social Intervention and Artistic Production

Convener｜Wen-Shu Lai

On May 16, 2025, the International Center for Cultural Studies (ICCS) at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University inaugurated its thematic series The Ethics of Human and Artistic Resistance I. The series aims to explore cinema's role in preserving and interpreting histories of war and resistance (with a focus on World War II and wars in Yugoslavia), while fostering multidisciplinary dialogue on human courage and non-violent defiance across global conflicts. This first session centered on a screening and discussion of the docu-fiction film The Diary of Diana B. (2019), directed by Croatian filmmaker Dana Budisavljević. Blending documentary and fictional storytelling, The Diary of Diana B. tells the little-known but extraordinary story of a woman who, in her 50s, undertook a massive, non-violent rescue effort under the Nazi-aligned Ustaše regime in Croatia. The film highlights the power of civilian courage and the often-overlooked roles of women in wartime humanitarian efforts.

The event brought together scholars, students, and invited guests to explore the intersections of ethics, history, and cinematic storytelling. Through moderation by Dr. Merima Omeragić postdoctoral fellow at ICCS, and participation of speakers – the film director Dana Budisavljević (joining via Zoom from Zagreb), and discussant Professor Emeritus Juan Horng Chu, the session highlighted the enduring relevance of moral courage and civilian resistance in times of crisis. The discussion provided nuanced perspectives on the ethical implications of both historical memory and artistic representation.

Dr Omeragić opened the session by reflecting on the emotional and intellectual weight of the film. She emphasized how each viewing reveals new details and nuances, underscoring the film’s layered narrative structure. Dr. Omeragić quoted a pivotal line from Diana’s original diary—“It was the most beautiful gift I ever received, the chance to save lives”—as a thematic anchor for the evening. She also acknowledged the essential contribution of Diana’s granddaughter, Professor Silvia Szabo, whose decades-long effort to research and publish her grandmother’s diary made the film possible. The film subtly honors this intergenerational transmission of memory by including a character representing Silvia as a child, linking the past and present.

When asked about her inspiration for the film, Dana Budisavljević discussed on how her journey with the film began with a coincidence – her surname is identical to Diana’s – but quickly deepened when she encountered the Diana’s diary at the Jasenovac Memorial Center. Struck by the scale and courage of Diana Budisavljević’s work—rescuing thousands of children—the director committed to telling the story on true unshakable moral convinction, emphasizing the role of civilian resistance. The director described the challenges of adapting this deeply emotional and complex trauma into narrative, and then into a cinematic form, explaining that it took nearly a decade to bring the film to completion. The emotional burden of representing wartime atrocities, the ethical considerations in portraying victims, and the logistical difficulties of dramatizing real events all shaped the film’s final form.

Responding to Dr. Omeragić’s remarks on the relevance of the film's subject matter – e.g. context of perpetual state of warfare in global, and its influence on reception, professor emeritus Juan Horng Chu offered thoughtful reflections on the role of cinema in mediating historical memory and violence. In that aspect the discussant emphasized that viewers inevitably bring their contemporary awareness into the reception of this kind of films, which are able to resonate across time and space. Professor Chu raised interpretive questions about two scenes depicting crowds in Zagreb—one from 1941 and another at the film’s conclusion—seeking clarification on their political context. Following this request for clarification, he questioned if the Balkans are uniquely prone to ethnic violence, or if such patterns reflect broader human behavior. In light of Karl Jaspers's philosophical insights, he also asked if postwar Croatia or Yugoslavia engaged in a public reckoning with the Ustaša crimes, as Germany did after WWII. Professor Chu initiated the field of ongoing historical denial in Croatia, particularly in light of nationalist narratives promoted by political leaders like Franjo Tuđman. He also raised the issue of the current status of memory and recognition for Serbian and Jewish communities in Croatia. His remarks offered a thoughtful perspective on the film, contextualizing it as both a historical reflection and a contemporary act of resistance through art and memory.

Following Professor Chu’s thought-provoking questions, director Dana Budisavljević expressed her appreciation for his deep understanding of Balkan history and his engagement with the film’s ethical and political dimensions. She clarified that the closing scene, featuring crowds in Zagreb, shows the arrival of communist Partisan forces in 1945—not a continuation of Nazi support, but a moment of regional liberation. She emphasized the difficulty of conveying complex local history to both regional and international audiences through film medium, especially as Balkan stories are often overshadowed by dominant Western narratives. The director elaborated on the post-war erasure of Diana Budisavljević’s contributions. Although Diana rescued thousands of children during WWII, she was later excluded from official history due to her bourgeois background and Austrian origins, which conflicted with the new communist ideology. The regime credited others with her achievements, illustrating how victors often reshape narratives to align with their values. In that sense, she underlined that film The Diary of Diana B. adresses this erasure and the ongoing struggle against historical revisionism and the silencing of inconvenient truths.

The moderator then added historical context, outlining how four major wars in the 20th century shaped the Balkans. Moreover, Dr. Omeragić also emphasized the region's complex identities in relation to the syndrome of small nation as an issue, a concept that refers to the influence of ethnic and national tensions on collective memory and historical interpretation. Stressing the importance of inclusive storytelling, it was noted that victims of fascist violence included Jews, Serbs, Muslims, Roma people, and political opponents, often Partisan opponents. In her praise of the film, she acknowledged the recovery of a vital yet overlooked personal narrative centered on a courageous woman who saved over 10,000 children, and emphasized the role of such stories in challenging simplified or nationalistic versions of history. Personal stories like Diana’s, she argued, are essential to understanding the human cost of ideological violence.

In her response, Dana Budisavljević reiterated the dangers of ethnonationalist ideologies in general, pointing out the importance of criticism of post-communist historical distortions in Croatia, particularly efforts to rehabilitate fascist collaborators and downplay Ustaša crimes. Her film, she explained, was created to resist such distortions by drawing on survivor testimonies, archival materials, and Diana's own diary. At the same time, this film sheds light on the factors that led to the communist marginalization of a figure such as Diana. Therefore, The Diary of Diana B. provides an alternative perspective: a truthful and critical reflection on a painful past, thus promoting a more honest and reflective engagement with the past.

Dr. Merima Omeragić directed the discussion toward the director's artistic choices, particularly the decision to use initials in the name of the film instead of the full name and surname – The Diary of Diana B. – in the context of symbolism of Diana's erasure after 1945, as well as the interconnectivity with theories of biography and memory. In this literary genres, the identification of this phenomenon, particularly among women writers, serves as an indication of a strategic approach aimed at rediscovering and restoring historical figures that have been overlooked or silenced.

Commenting on her artistic practices in relation to the film's messages, the director then focused her talk on describing the responsibility in depicting Diana's story. In her explanation, she detailed the film's hybrid structure, which blends fiction, reenactment, and documentary, as a deliberate attempt to honor both historical fact and emotional truth. Furthermore, Dana Budisavljević disclosed the heartbreaking detail that Diana never saw the children she saved again, and her rescue work was silenced after the war. The diaries were only discovered after her death by her granddaughter. The film achieves a symbolic union of Diana and the children, maintaining two distinct narratives: one storyline follows Diana's words, while the other features the voices of survivors. Consequently, the film serves as a lasting monument to both Diana's forgotten heroism and the suffering of those she rescued.

Dr. Merima Omeragić commended Dana Budisavljević's filmmaking process, noting how she had made the powerful and poetic portrayal of history. She turned the discussion to a broader question, inviting Professor Juan Horng Chu to reflect on the role of art in representing war. Professor Chu acknowledged the topic's complexity and the absence of a universal answer, emphasizing how artistic war representations are shaped by social and political environments and may be subject to censorship.

Furthermore, the moderator, shared a personal reflection, detailing her experiences growing up in besiged Sarajevo during the Bosnian War in 1990s. Drawing on philosophical perspectives, such as Jean-Paul Sartre's call for ethical engagement in art and Taihei Imamura's emphasis on ethical responsibility in documentary filmmaking about World War II, she highlighted the critical role of ethics in war-related art. She acknowledged the documentary aspects of Dana Budisavljević' s work and asked about the archival recordings of Diana and the children in the camps. She emphasized their importance to the film's authenticity.

In response to a question about historical material, Dana Budisavljević described her discovery of archival footage as a turning point in the filmmaking process. Inspired by a diary entry referencing a film crew at a camp, she conducted a thorough search of archives and uncovered rare footage showing Diana Budisavljević herself—an image previously unknown to the public. This discovery established a critical visual connection between the diary and the documented historical record. In that context, the director was able to provide valuable insights on the challenges of archival research, taking into account the frequent misattribution of records from wartime. Her footage was cross-validated with the diary, grounding the film's narrative in factual evidence. All of the aforementioned factors were deemed essential in the decision-making process to avoid the recreation of camp scenes with actors, particularly children. Instead, she opted to use authentic footage to portray the reality of the camps responsibly. This approach has been fundamental to maintaining historical accuracy and moral integrity in the film.

The open discussion began with reflections from Professor Joyce Liu, who expressed both shock and admiration for the film’s honest portrayal of Ustaša-era atrocities—less globally known than Nazi crimes. She praised the film’s minimalist yet powerful style and raised a critical question about the persistence of nationalist ideologies in contemporary Croatia and Bosnia. Dana Budisavljević acknowledged this concern, linking the rise of nationalism to the disintegration of Yugoslavia and broader global trends. She emphasized Diana Budisavljević’s story as a beacon of moral clarity and humanity. Commeting the Professor's Liu statement on film, the moderator expanded on this, critiquing the lack of open historical reckoning in post-WWII Yugoslav culture. She pointed out how dominant nationalist narratives today hinder reconciliation and inclusivity, while also highlighting the film’s importance in recovering women’s overlooked wartime roles.

Key questions from students and attendees centered on the ethics of reconciliation, audience responsibility, and historical representation. Dr Omeragić noted that reconciliation efforts in the region are often politicized, while the director Budisavljević stressed the need for continuous, honest dialogue to heal post-conflict societies. Both underscored the role of art and film in challenging simplistic political narratives and encouraging critical engagement with history. Audience members also inquired about the film’s archival approach. The director of the film The Diary of Diana B., described her meticulous research and editorial discipline in shaping a focused, emotionally resonant narrative. Finally, Professor Juan Horng Chu reflected on the ethical responsibility of audiences. Drawing parallels with Taiwan’s own suppressed historical traumas regard the collective memory about the February 28 Incident and the subsequent March 10 massacres, which remain partially obscured and underacknowledged in public discourse, he highlighted the importance of confronting difficult histories through artistic resistance and expressed hope for similar storytelling initiatives in his own cultural context.

The screening and discussion of The Diary of Diana B. provided a powerful space for reflection on historical memory, ethical resistance, and the role of art in confronting forgotten or suppressed narratives. Through the contributions of director Dana Budisavljević, Professor Juan Horng Chu, and with the moderation of Dr. Merima Omeragić, the event highlighted the continued relevance of Diana Budisavljević’s story and the importance of preserving truth amid ongoing wars, rising nationalism and historical revisionism. Active participation of the audience further deepened the conversation, touching on themes of reconciliation, the ethics of representation, and the responsibilities of both creators and viewers when engaging with trauma and history.

In her closing remarks, Dr. Merima Omeragić expressed her gratitude to Dana Budisavljević for her film and her significant contribution to the discussion. She also acknowledged Professor Chu for his insightful questions and thanked the students and other attendees for their valuable insights and engagement. She noted that the session was recorded for academic purposes and expressed appreciation for the opportunity to host such a vital conversation in Taiwan.

The event marked a meaningful beginning to the series The Ethics of Human and Artistic Resistance, encouraging ongoing dialogue across disciplines and cultures.