Second meeting, second chance

The Second Meeting, a documentary film by Zeljko Mirkovic, examines a period Serbs want to forget but need to remember, Serbian Ambassador Vladimir Petrovic said at last night’s premier in Washington, DC.  The war between Serbia and NATO captured in this film illustrates how successful America and Serbia have been in repairing relations.  Philip Reeker, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs who supervises the Balkan region, pointed out that this year is the 133^rd anniversary of US-Serbia diplomatic relations.

The film however focuses on the developing relationship between two families.  Serb Zoltan Dani, now a baker, served in his country’s military for over thirty years.  Dani’s Yugoslav anti-aircraft missile unit shot down an American F-117A “stealth” fighter participating in the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia on March 27, 1999.  The American pilot was Dale Zelko.  Zelko survived and managed to evade capture.  An American search and rescue unit found and evacuated him by helicopter.  Dani’s unit, often targeted, was never hit.

The incident pushed both men into the limelight.  Zelko declined press appearances, despite suggestions from General Wesley Clark and President Bill Clinton.  Dani was lauded for his ability to find and successfully target stealth planes but refused generous offers from other militaries over the next few years.  In the end, both men chose to leave military service and pursue lives based on their core values:  family and faith.  The title of the film references not only a second meeting, but a second chance.

Mirkovic’s film uses a mix of video diary clips made by Zelko and Dani, old news footage, and material from Mirkovic’s film crew.  It strives to expose the humanity beneath international conflict.  In the question and answer period after the film, Mirkovic underlined that there are not two sides to this story.  Both men acted on orders and dealt with the consequences.  Both joined the military because of their pride in their countries and in the end, both left the military because of a desire to spend more time with family.

The message here is the simple and undeniable truth of our shared humanity.