ONCE BROTHERS - ESPN Films: 30 for 30
Summary:
Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac were two friends who grew up together sharing the common bond of basketball. Together, they lifted the Yugoslavian National team to unimaginable heights. After conquering Europe, they both went to America where they became the first two foreign players to attain NBA stardom. But with the fall of the Soviet Union on Christmas Day 1991, Yugoslavia split up. A war broke out between Petrovic's Croatia and Divac's Serbia. Long buried ethnic tensions surfaced. And these two men, once brothers, were now on opposite sides of a deadly civil war. As Petrovic and Divac continued to face each other on the basketball courts of the NBA, no words passed between the two. Then, on the fateful night of June 7, 1993, Drazen Petrovic was killed in an auto accident. "Once Brothers" will tell the gripping tale of these two men, how circumstances beyond their control tore apart their friendship, and whether Divac has ever come to terms with the death of a friend before they had a chance to reconcile.
Questions:
1-Yugoslavia was one, unified country in ___________, but torn apart due to _______________ and then became a:_________________________________________________________________________________.
2-Explain the make-up of Yugoslavia.
3-As, Vlade interviews his parents, what do you notice about his parents’ house and kitchen. (Think about Material World) Due to the climate and environment, how is the house built? What types of food do they eat?
4-How does language impact the players? Identify the branch and family of the language spoken in Yugoslavia.
5-Is basketball part of folk or pop culture? How do you know?
6-In 1988, a national Yugoslavian basketball team was formed. Why didn’t the players discuss their backgrounds?
7-How was the world changing in 1989?
8-Why were/are there problems between Croatia and Serbia?
9-On draft day in the United States, what happened to Vlade? How was the culture different here in the US? Did he have to assimilate or will acculturation take place?
10-In 1990, describe the events taking place. Relate this experience to something in your life.
11-Identify the worst elements of society that affected this conflict? Is this true in every conflict? Is one side always responsible for this particular conflict?
12-As Vlade enters Croatia, describe the landscape. What type of landscape would this be?
13-How is the game impacted by the events happening in 1992? 1995?
14-As the war ends, how do the former teammates react to one another? How were they Once Brothers? Are they now? Support your response.