The cellist Vedran Smajlović plays in the destroyed Sarajevo National, photo Kemal Hadžić, design of poster by Enis Selimović, 1993. After the first year of the war (1992), when the schools and faculties stopped working, the resistance to the aggression was manifested by their reopening. Classes were organized under the shelling, without electricity; the cultural life was maintained by organizing theatre performances, or guest performances by world recognized intellectuals. All this was a heroic act in the city under the siege. Vedran Smajlović is one from them.
Nusret Pašić organized the exhibition Witnesses of Existence in the destroyed Cinema Sutjeska. After him the same facility was used by Sanjin Jukić, Mustafa Skopljak, Ante Jurič, Zoran Bogdanović, Petar Valdegg, Edin Numankadić and Radoslav Tadić for their exhibitions. The exhibition Witnesses of Existence, as a survey of exhibitions organized in the Cinema Sutjeska represented Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Biennale in Venice in 1993. Obala Art Centar started its exhibiting activity. The gallery of the Art Academy in Sarajevo became active again. Enver Hadžiomerspahić initiated foundation of the Museum of Moder
n Art, Ars Aevi, Annie Leibovitz, Antony Gormley, and Christian Boltanski visited Sarajevo. Susan Sontag directed Waiting for Godot. Joan Beaz visited Sarajevo. In 1993, Haris Pašović first started the International Theatar and Film Festival in Sarajevo. In 1995, Obala Art Centar started Sarajevo Film Festival, which became a regular event.