What attracted you to Danis Tanovic's film?

What struck me first was that Danis was a first-time documentary film maker who had been at the front during the Sarajevo siege. It must have been one thing to go through that, but another to write such a wonderful script and tap into a strand of black humour that "M*A*S*H" would have been proud of. I just wanted to meet him straight away.

Could you describe the role you play?

I play a journalist working for an American TV News station. Danis described these type of TV journalists as "Angels of death" because like vultures, where ever there's a disaster, they come flying in to cover it. They're dedicated but they can sometimes miss the whole picture. They want their story, then they fly out again.

What do you think makes "No Man's Land" stand out as an anti-war film?

It's just so funny! To quote one scene, you've got a Bosnian and a Serb pointing guns at each other and they have to break concentration to translate for the French soldier working for the UN! It's crazy. It makes the spoils of war seem strangely ridiculous but also fascinating at the same time.

It must have been very pleasing to see the film win an Oscar.

Winning the Screenplay award at Cannes and the Golden Globe were excellent but of course the Oscar was the icing on the cake! I hope that encourages more people to see it. In the West, we're sometimes guilty of believing problems elsewhere have nothing to do with us. "No Man's Land" allows people to step back and see another side to a war situation. I think people will find it rewarding if they're prepared to give it a chance.