The Abandoned (2010) — AI Story Visualization

Plot Analysis Summary

A boy raised in a Sarajevo children's home uncovers the truth about his mother and leaves to find her.

Story Structure — 5 Plot Phases

A Child Left Behind

A birth in wartime Bosnia is followed by a jump to 2006. The boy is living in a Sarajevo children's home with an incomplete story about his parents.

Key Events

• Birth in the Bosnian Woods — A woman gives birth to a baby boy during the Bosnian war. Location: Woods in Bosnia
• Jump to Sarajevo, 2006 — The story jumps from 1993 to 2006. Location: Sarajevo
• Life in the Children's Home — The boy, now thirteen, lives in a children's home. Location: Children's home in Sarajevo
• Gago's Family Story — Gago says the boy's mother is French and his father is English. Characters: Gago Location: Children's home in Sarajevo

Letters Without Recipients

The boy writes to his mother in France and entrusts the letters to Cica. The letters are secretly stored in a drawer because there is nobody to send them to.

Key Events

• Letters to France — The boy writes letters to his mother and gives them to Cica. Characters: Cica Location: Children's home in Sarajevo
• Letters Locked Away — Cica places all the children's letters in a drawer because nobody will receive them. Characters: Cica Location: Children's home in Sarajevo
• A New Director Arrives — Mirza, a young educator, becomes the new director of the home. Characters: Mirza, Gago, Cica Location: Children's home in Sarajevo

Crime Beside the Home

Mirza becomes the new director while Šento operates a criminal shop nearby. The children are exploited to steal expensive goods, culminating in a failed jewelry robbery.

Key Events

• The Criminal's Shop — Šento owns a nearby shop and is described as a criminal. Characters: Šento Location: Shop near the children's home
• Children Used for Theft — Šento has the children steal expensive items for him. Characters: Šento Location: Shop near the children's home
• Failed Jewel Robbery — A jewelry robbery connected to the children fails. Characters: Šento Location: Jewelry robbery site

The Files Hold the Truth

Police investigate the robbery, and the boy fears being connected to it. By accessing the police files, he discovers his mother's real address.

Key Events

• Police Investigation Begins — Police investigate the failed robbery and begin compiling case files. Location: Sarajevo
• Fear of Exposure — The boy worries that investigators will connect him to the robbery. Location: Children's home in Sarajevo
• Accessing Police Files — The boy gains access to police files while seeking information about the case. Location: Police records
• The Real Address Revealed — The files reveal the real address of the boy's mother. Location: Police records

The Search Begins

The newly discovered address gives the boy a concrete path toward his mother. He leaves the children's home to find her.

Key Events

• Leaving the Home — The boy leaves the home to find his mother. Location: Children's home in Sarajevo

Story Breakdown

• Wartime Origins — The story begins with the boy's birth during the Bosnian war.
  • Bosnian Birth — A woman gives birth to a baby boy in the woods in Bosnia in 1993.
  • Time Jump — The narrative moves forward to 2006 in Sarajevo.
• Homebound Childhood — The boy grows up in a Sarajevo children's home while believing his parents are temporarily away.
  • Sarajevo Home — At thirteen, the boy lives in a children's home.
  • Parental Absence — He believes his French mother and English father left him because of war and work.
• Letters Without Hope — The boy tries to maintain a connection with his mother through letters.
  • Writing to France — He writes letters to his mother and gives them to Cica.
  • Hidden Drawer — Cica stores the children's letters because there is nobody to receive them.
• Changing Home Leadership — The children's home changes from Gago's former administration to Mirza's leadership.
  • Gago's Account — Gago provides the boy with the story of his parents.
  • Mirza Arrives — Mirza becomes the new director and is described as a capable young educator.
• Criminal Exploitation — A nearby shop owner uses the children to obtain valuable stolen goods.
  • Šento's Shop — Šento owns a shop near the children's home and is identified as a criminal.
  • Failed Jewelry Robbery — The children's criminal activity leads to a failed jewelry robbery.
• Escape Toward Truth — Fear of police involvement leads the boy to investigate his own origins.
  • Police Files — The boy gains access to the files connected to the robbery.
  • Search for Mother — After finding his mother's real address, he leaves the home to find her.

Directed by

Adis Bakrač

Key Cast

• Tony Grga — Alen
• Mirsad Tuka — Mirza
• Mira Furlan — Cica
• Mirela Lambić — Amila
• Dragan Marinković 'Maca' — Šento