petarmatic 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.

dragokin In this movie you'll find a story that could probably be told about any country that has been through a war in the past twenty years. This particular one has been set in Bosnia and shows people coping with post-war recovery. The main characters are what would be a description of any society that went through such an ordeal:Civilians (that probably went through biggest hardship of them all); Former soldiers; Pre-war criminals turned war heroes turned post-war entrepreneurs; Children growing up with hearsay about life during wartime.If you abstract that the characters are or have been on one of the sides, and in Bosnia there have been at least the official three, it definitely is a universal story.What spoils the impression is probably invisible to the average viewer, since it happened during the promotional campaign surrounding the movie. The author used it to point out how one of the sides was "more guilty" than others for conflict and outcome of the war in ex-Yugoslavia. This is probably where you may argue whether contemporary art is relevant when not used for social activism, yet the author misses the mark and succeeds only in finding funding for future projects by like-minded people.

mangorytm1 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.

kors2003 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)