Grbavica (2006)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Jasmila Zbanic

Writer:

Jasmila Zbanic (writer)

Release Date:

6 July 2006 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A woman and her daughter struggle to make their way through the aftermath of the Balkan war.

Plot Keywords:

School Trip | Sarajevo | Body Identification War Dead | Wartime Rape | Animal Abuse

Awards:

8 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Mirjana Karanovic	...	Esma
Luna Mijovic	...	Sara
Leon Lucev	...	Pelda
Kenan Catic	...	Samir
Jasna Beri	...	Sabina (as Jasna Ornela Berry)
Dejan Acimovic	...	Cenga
Bogdan Diklic	...	Saran
Emir Hadzihafizbegovic	...	Puska
Ermin Bravo	...	Profesor Muha
Semka Sokolovic-Bertok	...	Pelda's Mother
Maike Höhne	...	Jabolka
Jasna Zalica	...	Plema
Nada Djurevska	...	Aunt Safija
Emina Muftic	...	Vasvija (as Minka Muftic)
Dunja Pasic	...	Mila

Also Known As:

Esma's Secret - Grbavica (UK)
Esmas Geheimnis - Grbavica (Germany)
Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams (International: English title)

Runtime:

USA:107 min | Argentina:100 min (Mar del Plata Film Festival) | Germany:90 min | UK:95 min

Country:

Austria | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Germany | Croatia

Language:

Bosnian

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Brazil:14 | Netherlands:12 | Sweden:11 | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | UK:15 | Argentina:13 | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina

Company:

Coop 99

Trivia:

Like many other productions in Bosnia, Grbavica (2006) is a small budget film.

Movie Connections:

References Ônibus 174 (2002)

plain simple and heartbreaking

Very simply a honest, straightforward and earnest film about a topic that is just so important to be informed about and discussed.

The camera-work is so to the point, so is every little piece of direction. The acting is sharp, clear and real all the way through. - I was hoping for Mirjana Karanovic (as well as Luna Mijovic) to win the Bear for their incredibly focused performances. Well, they didn't get it, shame, I thought, but then again, a golden bear for best film is not so bad either...! So congratulations to Jasmila and the whole team and the four different producers from four countries making this possible in joint effort! -

And given all these plain and clear ingredients, what you end up with is one of the most moving "movies" I have seen for a very long time.

This film is not about reinventing the wheel, it is simply all about showing how incredibly well a well made wheel can work.