[2][3] At Berlin it won the Jury Grand Prix,[4] as well as FIPRESCI prize for films shown in competition.

[5] It was selected as the Bosnian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards but it was not nominated.

[8][9] Jay Weissberg praised the film in Variety as an "expertly modulated choral drama".

[10] Stephen Dalton writing for The Hollywood Reporter gave a negative review, noting, "The take-home message that historical narratives are always complex and contentious, especially in the Balkans, is unquestionably true but hardly a profound insight.

Not quite a political thriller, not quite a provocative drama, not quite an inspired stage adaptation, Death in Sarajevo is a minor addition to Tanović's illustrious body of work.