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The possibility of peace in Bosnia is viewed with irony in Srdjan Dragojevic's Pretty Village, Pretty Flame, which focuses on a group of Serb soldiers before, during and after their military service. The film encompasses a variety of moods through the use of lengthy flashbacks. with satire emerging strongly at the film's conclusion. From their jovial and bawdy behaviour at the start of the war, the characters strive to maintain a sense of humour during a lengthy stand-off in a tunnel, with Muslim soldiers waiting outside, an incident loosely based on actual events.
The continuing problem of accountability in war is highlighted, opponents each deny responsibility for atrocities which have affected the other. The local aspect of the conflict has devastating consequences for the soldiers; childhood friends, brothers-in-law and friends find themselves fighting on opposing sides. A sense of the futility of war is conveyed through the often ironic use of popular music, including a rendition of John Lennon's Give Peace A Chance.