Grbavica Land My Dreams

Studio: Strand Releasing Release Date: 06/12/2007

Set in Sarajevo’s Bosnian neighborhood, Grbavica is a gripping love story amongst a mother and daughter engaged in a struggle versus prejudice and poverty. Director Jasmilla Zbanic’s debut is astoundingly tender giving careful consideration to the film’s exceedingly demoralizing subject matter. For example, the film opens on Esma (Mirjana Karanovic), a middle-aged mom who gets night shifts bartending at a seedy strip club by lying to the proprietor that she is childless. Following this scene, however, Esma pillow fights her teenage daughter, Sara (Luna Mijovic), in their meager apartment, without delay establishing their bond. Undependable men come and go, such as Puska (Emir Hadzihafisbegovic), a fur-sporting sleaze who tries to hire Esma’s only love interest as a hitman. Grbavica’s plot centers around Esma’s attempts to save cash for Sara’s field trip, and Sara’s aroused suspicion regarding her allegedly dead Shaheed father. Esma’s failure to construct his death certificate leads Sara closer to the gruesome truth with regards to her real history. Grbavica provides viewers a glimpse into each and everyday Croatian life, by finessing disaster and comedy into one story. Potential pitfalls, such as Sara’s involvement with a gun-toting boy at school, are narrowly averted to prove real resilience. Grbavica is a tale that represents women and children affected by war, in their loss and given a healthy elasticity to love that promotes healing. –Trinie Dalton

Grbavica Land My Dreams Image

Grbavica Land My Dreams Picture

Grbavica Land My Dreams Pic

Most helpful client reviews

5 of 5 persons found the following review helpful.
Living With The Past
By S. B. Anderson
Bosnian war, though recent, has been closely forgotten due to speedily unfolding conflicts in the Middle East. This fact does not diminish the severity of the Bosnian conflict, nor does it diminish the scars this conflict left on the population of this little Balkan country.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
LUNA MIJOVIC (who plays Sara) IS AN ABSOLUTE JOY!
By Kirk Alex
Deftly handled theme that just might move sure viewers to tears.
Needed to be told.
The mindless war in and around Sarajevo accomplished but one thing: scarred a nation
and left it is survivors to do their best to heal the wounds and live life to the best of their
ability.

Terrific cast, writing and direction. Important films like this ought to be made by Indies–any way that they may scrounge up the financing–because Hollywood plainly fails more ofttimes than not.

And as far as charismatic Luna Mijovic is concerned…I just hope she wins the Oscar one day!
Loved the young woman’s work in this unforgettable motion picture.

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Grbavica Land My Dreams