‘These human lives are worth less to us unfortunately’

“There are laws and conventions that we have all signed up to that are not being respected and quite simply these human lives are worth less to us unfortunately, and that’s sad. We can all do more,” says Bosnian writer Zlata Filipovic, of Europe’s current migrant crisis.

The stories of Syrians fleeing their war-torn country hoping for a better life in Europe, remind Filipovic of her own family’s escape from the bombardment of Sarajevo during the Bosnian war.

“I see these people saying goodbye to their grandmothers, leaving them on staircases hoping that they’ll see each other again, not knowing if they ever will. You know, I was on that staircase,” she told the Róisín Meets podcast.

In April 1992 the siege of Sarajevo began. It would last for 44 months. During that time Filipovic and her family were forced to leave their art adorned, middle class home behind and take refuge in their dark basement in order to survive.

The then 11-year-old had begun keeping a diary five months before war broke out and continued to document life in the basement as Sarajevo was bombarded by Serb forces. Her writings came to the attention of French aid workers and became her family’s ticket out of Bosnia when a French publisher printed it as the book, Zlata’s Diary. It earned her a reputation as the modern day Anne Frank.

In December 1993, the publisher arranged for Filipovic – an only child – and her parents to be evacuated to France. Two years later they moved to Dublin. She often wonders what would have happened if she hadn’t written the diary.

“All the time. You’re always thinking when did the road fork and what would have happened if I ended up on that one? Literally I wouldn’t be sitting here today with you in Dublin if it wasn’t for that day when the war started and everything changed,” she said.

Filipovic has visited Sarajevo almost every year since she left 23 years ago and she calls herself a “Bosnian living in Dublin”. There is still a distance between her and her country of birth though.

“I can’t claim to say what the exact situation in Bosnia is, because I don’t live in Bosnia every day but at the same time anywhere I go in Dublin, the first taxi I get into, the guy will immediately ask me where I’m from as soon as I say ‘hi’,” she said.

Filipovic now works as a film producer and recently produced The Story of Yes – a documentary about the Marriage Referendum. She is currently working on a documentary series about fertility issues in Ireland.

To listen to Zlata Filipovic in conversation with Róisín Ingle or other episodes of the Róisín Meets podcast, go to Soundcloud, iTunes, Stitcher or irishtimes.com