Despite its romanticized, optimistic title, "Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams" actually takes place in a world of shell-shocked survivors. Nearly a decade after the end of the Balkans War, the citizens of Sarajevo (Grbavica is a quarter located in that city) are still attempting to pick up the pieces of their shattered psyches and somehow move on with their lives. Even as bodies are continually being unearthed in mass graves scattered throughout the area, and residents search desperately for remains of their missing loved ones, a veneer of "normalcy" has returned to the city, as citizens cope with the everyday concerns of earning a living, raising children, caring for aging parents, falling in love. Yet, the extent of the emotional scarring is still greatly in evidence: in women attending group therapy sessions designed to help them cope with their losses; in youngsters crowding into noisy nightclubs as a means of escaping the horrors of the past; and, most tellingly perhaps, in the use of dark humor and strangely inappropriate laughter as a major coping mechanism for the beleaguered survivors.Against this searing backdrop, "Grbavica" focuses on two main characters: Esma, a struggling seamstress who has lost a father and perhaps a husband in the war, and Sara, her teenaged daughter who, on top of the "growing pains" common to teens everywhere, has her own unique set of problems to deal with. One of those includes a major shocking secret about her father revealed late in the film. Mirjana Karanovic and Luna Mijovic, who make a completely convincing mother/daughter team, deliver heartrending, sensitive performances as the parent and child struggling in a world seemingly bereft of joy, hope and happiness, while Leon Lucev offers fine support as a potential love interest for the overburdened seamstress.Writer/director Jasmila Zbanic has fashioned a film that calls to mind the groundbreaking work by the Italian neo-realists of the post-World War II era. For despite the grimness of its setting, the film suggests that the healing process may have already begun for the nation as well as for its people, and that where there is life there is always hope. The very fact that "Grbavica" is an Austrian/Bosnian-Herzegovinian/German/Croatian co-production attests to that possibility.

This movie is not entertainment in the (Hollywood) main stream kind of meaning. You're not supposed to feel good about anything. Why should you, while watching a woman in her desperate attempts to lead a normal life after a war (balkan war) that destroyed so many homes? The answer is, you should feel her pain and that is the tricky part for the director and the script. Can they still hold their audience, while showing us raw and gritty life situations, where we might even hate the main character? The answer is yes! They can. But which is also a testament to the actress! Yes this is a drama, about the effects a war can have on people and how they try to deal with it ... and it is a good one at that!

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 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.