Scream For Me Sarajevo

"For those few hours, there was no war for me."

Outlined in fascinating detail within Bruce Dickinson's recent autobiography - one of the highlights of said tome - was how in 1994, the then-former Iron Maiden singer and his solo band played a show in the midst of the Siege of Sarajevo. Allegedly, Metallica and Motorhead had already turned down the offer. "If I had been their manager I would have done too," Dickinson quips in the book.

However, this documentary's extensive inclusion of the stories of fans that made it to the show (plus one who cruelly missed out) and those who made the show happen after its genesis during a pub conversation adds another dimension to an already-intriguing tale. The filmmakers sought to present another side of the siege and succeed in infusing a striking, confronting realism and humanity as residents, many of them youths at the time, reflect on the events leading up to war breaking out and its ensuing effects on their lives two decades later. Even a United Nations negotiator admits he didn't grasp the magnitude of the atrocities until he saw them firsthand.

The evocative, even candid manner in which they incredibly discuss becoming acclimated to their new surroundings, and how the violence and horror galvanised them to "live life to the fullest" by embracing music and the arts, is stirring. This goes some way to explaining why the prospect of an international heavy metal star visiting was such a boost to morale, perhaps inspiring them to "hang on a little longer".

Meanwhile, Dickinson and bandmates retrace their steps and offer viewpoints via present-day interviews. Despite being informed at the last minute that the measures that were to be in place to ensure their safe passage to Sarajevo were no longer available, the band opted to play the show anyway despite the lack of survival guarantee. A member of a support act posits that Dickinson must have been crazy, or paid a million pounds, to forge ahead in these circumstances. The visiting musicians quickly realised their rockstar status would mean precisely zilch to any lurking snipers, but superseding any immediate sense of danger felt is the strong suggestion that the entire experience left a lasting impression and altered their worldviews.

Featuring footage and images from the concert, and soundtracked by Maiden and Dickinson solo material (including the grandiose Tears Of The Dragon), the film's appeal should go far beyond mere devotees of the metal legends and their talismanic frontman.