Zdravko Šotra discusses Mira Furlan’s struggles with ethnic identity

Director Zdravko Šotra has reflected on the career and personal struggles of actress Mira Furlan, specifically regarding the impact of the 1988 film ‘Braća po materi’. The film, which Šotra co-wrote, explores themes of ethnic conflict and family dynamics through a story of a woman married to both a Croat and a Serb.

Šotra noted that Furlan faced significant backlash due to her personal life and professional choices during the socio-political upheavals of the early 1990s. Following her marriage to Serbian director Goran Gajić and her lifestyle between Belgrade and Zagreb, Furlan was labeled a traitor by certain Croatian media outlets. This period of intense scrutiny resulted in her losing her position at the Croatian National Theatre.