Hollywood actor, film director, and producer Meg Ryan was honored by the Sarajevo Film Festival with the Honorary Heart of Sarajevo for her contributions to the film industry on Tuesday evening. Ryan was among four film authors who received the award, alongside US and Palestinian film directors Alexander Payne and Elia Suleiman, and US actor and producer John Turturro.
"This award recognizes her outstanding contribution to the world of cinema and her incredible talents," stated festival director Jovan Marjanović before presenting Ryan with a silver heart-shaped award. Ryan symbolically presented a special screening of her 1998 romantic comedy hit You’ve Got Mail at an open-air cinema, the same venue where it was first screened during the festival in 1999.
During a masterclass moderated by Oscar-winning Bosnian film director Danis Tanovic, Ryan discussed her second feature film What Happens Later, which she directed, wrote, and co-starred in with David Duchovny. The film was also screened at the festival. Ryan revealed that she initially pursued acting to fund her journalism studies and considered herself an "untrained actress."
"I had a beginner's mind, which I now see as very valuable. There's a certain naivety and innocence that is crucial for an artist," she explained. The Sarajevo Film Festival, a cinematic event spanning from Vienna to Istanbul, was established by a group of film enthusiasts at the end of the Bosnian war 30 years ago. This year, it will feature a total of 240 films.
