Grbavica (2006)

A woman and her daughter struggle to make their way through the aftermath of the Bosnian War.

Director:

Jasmila Zbanic

Writer:

Jasmila Zbanic

Stars:

Mirjana Karanovic, Luna Zimic Mijovic, Leon Lucev

12 wins & 6 nominations.

Cast

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

Storyline

Set against the backdrop of a former Yugoslavia of the nineteen-nineties, this is a single mother's anguish of how one must deal with truths and how to cope with a war's terrible past. With a twelve year old daughter to bring-up, both mother and child come head-to-head when a school trip is in the air and complications and rude awakenings arise from the ashes' of the cold and callous days of conflict, xenophobia and its secrets.

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Plot Keywords:

school trip | sarajevo | single mother | money | topless female nudity | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Official Sites:

Coop99 [Austria] (German, English) Official site [Bosnia and Herzegovina] (Bosnian, English)

Country:

Bosnia and Herzegovina Croatia Austria Germany

Language:

Bosnian

Release Date:

6 July 2006 (Germany)

Also Known As:

La revelación de Sara

Filming Locations:

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$5,974, 18 February 2007, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$43,060, 10 June 2007

Company Credits

Production Co:

Coop99 Filmproduktion,Deblokada,Noirfilm Filmproduktion

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Luna Zimic Mijovic broke her leg when shooting the football scene.

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Connections

Featured in Smagsdommerne: Episode #5.12 (2007)

User Reviews

Touching and raw

This film is about a woman who has to raise money for her daughter's school trip. Or she could produce a certificate to say that her daughter's father is a war hero, so that her daughter could go to the trip for free.

The film is down to earth and realistic. There are no grand sets, no expensive costumes and no fancy cars. Instead, we get to see a real side of life in Sarajevo. A bus ride, working in factories, picnic on the hilltop or women trying dresses on: all of these seemingly trivial matters reflect how people live. It brings out the soul of the characters, and we get to care for them.

The daughter, Sara's youthful rebellion is direct and raw. Her spectrum of emotions, from sadness to joy, on the final bus ride is remarkable. Esma's work in the night club is also memorable. Her shock and disgust with things that go on around her, and her self pity that she has to earn money like that is striking.

Esma's final confession in the group is touching and emotional. It crystallises anger, hate, despair, ambivalence and love into one. From the interaction between Esma and Sara throughout the film, who would have thought that Sara was in fact born in such circumstances?

This film is touching, not only because it exposes the scars of post war Bosnia, but also the everyday tragedies of the lower class.