What is life in Bosnia like today? That Bosniaks find difficulties in their daily lives is an understated answer to the question, as portrayed in Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams, directed by Jasmila Žbanić. The focus in the movie is on Esma (played by Mirjana Karanović) and her twelve-year-old daughter Sara (played by Luna Mijović), who live in Sarajevo. Although Esma tells Sara that her father was a war hero, fighting for the Moslems of Bosnia, filmviewers will be confronted with clues as the story progresses that Sara’s birthfather is a Serb who raped Esma in a prisoner-of-war camp. At one point the leader of a group therapy session for Bosniak women suggests that psychological healing requires those traumatized to talk about their pain; the interaction between Esma and Sara then demonstrate the validity of the suggestion. The film demonstrates at least eight important elements of life in Bosnia today: (1) Jobs are scarce, as employment opportunities are limited due to the lack of infrastructure and investment. (2) Because of the war, there are more females than males, and the widows remain traumatized. (3) Due to slow driblets of monthly welfare payments to single mothers, there is insufficient food on the table. (4) The elderly encourage the youth to dream of a better life even though there is no sign of improvement. (5) Nevertheless, the youth feel insecure. (6) From time to time, mass graves are being discovered. (7) Some Bosniaks go to mass graves as they are unearthed until they find their loved ones. (8) There are more benefits for families with Moslem fathers than for non-Moslem fathers; indeed, the school that Sara attends offers a free field trip to those who can prove that their fathers are war heroes, but Esma can neither afford to pay for the field trip nor produce documentary proof that Sara’s father is a war hero. Lacking cinematography of the beautiful Bosnia countryside, Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams suggests that Bosnia is not a happy place for a summer vacation. MH
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