Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams (2007)

Great Film overall

A different way of telling a story

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Whenever I watch film connected to Sarajevo I am touched to the bottom of my soul.So much was said about this film, that I do not have anything much to add except if you like films on ex Yugoslav theme this is a must see.Jasmila Zbanic always wanted to be a film director, and when you have a talent like she has it has to happen. I know the war stopped her for some years to become a successful film director, but she survived the war and she made it. Many Sarajevans can not say the same, dead mouth do not speak. On that theme watch other film made by Zbanic For those who can not tell the tales.Jasmila since we are the same generation growing up in a relatively small city like Sarajevo is, we knew all about each other. I also wanted to be a successful film director, may be I would of, if I did not like the other kind of films you do not like. You know those when actors have no clothes on while acting ;) May be the words you uttered: Petar Matic can not be a film director because he likes porn! condemned me for ever. Since that damnation happened all was bad for me, I would never have a real chance in life, not to say film directing was lost for me for ever. I know I did some semi professional work but that was really not good. I would give myself 1 out of 10 for those pitiful film directing I tried. You simply have to have training in the best film schools in order to make it. I never got to it. I thought there was time. Time expired for me.

After being raped by Serbs like too many other Muslim women in the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina in the first half of the 1990's, Esma is raising her daughter Sara to believe her father has died in a very important battle at Zuc defending Sarajevo under siege. The terrifying truth moves slowly to the surface and we get to see teenage Sara's self-image collapsing in front of her. Sara's teenage angst and rebellion is meaningful and her search for identity is more psychologically charged and reasoned than most of "I'm so bored of going to the mall every day and listening to my stupid hypocrite teachers and parents" Hollywood version of teenage angst. Her mother is trying to work and live as normal as possible, but her inner fears and unresolved issues only make her feel inadequate in the trivial, meaningless, pleasure-seeking world. Esma has to deal with the truth herself, has to say it out loud, face her daughter and find the strength to stop being a victim and enjoy her life as much as possible.

Almost every scene depicting the life of Esma and her 12- year old daughter, Sara carefully shows human emotions. Grbavica is an intensely gripping drama about discovering the truth. The story is set in former Yugoslavia; Zbanic doesn't simplify post-Balkan war Sarajevo. The landscape is marked by war; Sara and her boyfriend spend their time in demolished and abandoned buildings. War trauma intertwines with everyday life. Esma and a bodyguard she befriends, discover they have met at exhumations, and both share the experience of loosing their loved ones. Esma works the night shift as a waitress in a night club run by a gangster, she is intent on giving her daughter what she can. It's clear that she is struggling to earn money for her daughters' school trip, but I wasn't so sure about the idea that a woman with such a past would work in the specific environment of gangsters and prostitutes. Since Esma doesn't confront her problems the chasm between mother and daughter widens. The government ensures psychotherapy and welfare for women imprisoned Chetniks. I found the therapy scenes lacked psychological probability; it's hard to believe in sessions with such a number of women, and a seemingly incompetent and slightly short on empathy psychologist. Esma comes to terms with her own past, not because of the meeting, but thanks to Sara. When finally, she reveals the long concealed truth. When Sara discovers she is not the child of a war hero, she loses her illusions, but gains inner strength. Luna Mijowic was moving in her portrayal of Sara, a child at the threshold of becoming an adult.

I was fortunate enough to see this wonderful film at the Melbourne International Film Festival where it seemed to receive a positive reaction from the large audience.Jasmila Zbanic has written and directed a film that is powerful enough to speak to a global audience. Even as a twenty-something Australian male, I was able to relate to the struggle of a middle-aged Bosnian woman because of the strength of Zbanic's storytelling and the superb acting.I was particularly astonished by Mirjana Karanovic's performance and would be thrilled to see her acknowledged at Oscar time next year. She captured Esma's internal conflicts perfectly and brought many audience members to tears. Luna Mijovic was also very good as Sara, shifting with ease between adolescent rage and childlike vulnerability.Zbanic should be applauded for crafting a film that reminds us that the wounds of war leave deep scars. While Zbanic's script may not be "perfect", the humanity of her message is strong enough to leave us feeling grateful for the gift of love. At a time when the global political climate is in such tumult, films like this remind us to appreciate the loving relationships we have, despite the baggage they may come with.