La revelación de Sara

This Movie is excellent, and it's starting in cinemas around Bosnia and Herzegovina March 1st.

GRBAVICA is a story about contemporary Sarajevo…

Single mother Esma wants to grant her twelve-year-old daughter Sara's wish to participate in a school trip. A certificate proving her father is a war martyr would allow her a discount. But Esma continues to avoid Sara's requests for the certificate. She would rather find a way to pay full price for the trip. She believes not telling the truth about Sara's father is a way to protect both her and her daughter.

It's moving and touching, but also very truthful to the post-war events. I hope it will hit cinemas worldwide or at least a DVD Realise. Grbavica's director won 1st Prize on the Berlin Movie Festival.

i have seen GRBAVICA at the berlinale in Germany and this is one of the best movies i ever seen. without any violent scenes this pictures burns the whole frightening war in former Yugoslavia in your head - without to accuse somebody directly. it is a film about accomplishment of the war, the state of the country now, the relationship between mother and daughter, the puberty and a love story too. very good actors and calmly produced. very earned won the golden bear in berlin! if you have the chance to see this movie, please use it... hopefully this movie will be internationally known, not only in Europe.

(excuse, my English is not so good)

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.

This little film drew me in with it's central characters, a Mother who was a war survivor,who had been in the P.O.W. camps in Sarajevo (played to perfection by Mirjana Karanovic), and her daily struggle to keep her head above water, with a thankless job in a cocktail bar, and with the daily battle with her adolescent daughter, Sara (played by Luna Mijovic). The two women share a love/hate relationship that will easily tear at your heart at times. This is not always an easy film to watch, but is an easy film to appreciate. First time writer/director Jasmila Zbanic works well with the cast,drawing just enough emotion to make this a heartbreaking, but satisfying experience.

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.