Grbavica (2007)
92%RT Audience Score: 86%
Awards & Nominations: 12 wins & 7 nominations
Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams is a poignant and powerful film that explores the aftermath of war and the enduring legacy of trauma. Director Jasmila Zbanic masterfully weaves together the stories of a mother and daughter as they navigate the complexities of their relationship and confront the painful truths of their past. The film is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the enduring power of hope, even in the face of unimaginable adversity. With stunning performances from the cast and a hauntingly beautiful score, Grbavica is a must-see for anyone who appreciates intelligent and thought-provoking cinema.
Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams is a movie that will make you laugh, cry, and everything in between. It’s a heartwarming story about the power of love and the resilience of the human spirit. The film takes you on a journey through the lives of ordinary people living in Bosnia, and it’s impossible not to be moved by their struggles and triumphs. The performances are outstanding, and the direction is masterful. If you’re looking for a movie that will leave you feeling inspired and uplifted, Grbavica is the perfect choice.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Strand
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina
MPAA / Certificate
Year of Release
2006
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 47m
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Language(s):Bosnian
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Feb 16, 2007 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 12, 2007
Genre(s)
Drama
Keyword(s)
Drama, war, Bosnia, ethnic conflict, emotional toll, survival, school trip, sleazy job, mob-connected disco, relationship, bouncer, first love, outcast, widowed, adolescent daughter, Mirjana Karanovic, Luna Mijovic, Leon Lucev, Kenan Catic, Jasna Beri, Dejan Acimovic, Jasmila Zbanic, Barbara Albert, Damir Ibrahimovich, Bruno Wagner, written by Jasmila Zbanic, directed by Jasmila Zbanic, produced by Barbara Albert, Damir Ibrahimovich, Bruno Wagner, reviewed by Deborah Ross, Marc Savlov, Robert Denerstein, Carrie Rickey, Jeff Shannon, Walter V Addiego, Winda Benedetti, Sean Burns, Jeff Vice, Sean P Means, Ken Hanke, Beverly Berning, MPAA rating, box office gross, budget, Strand, Serbian, 1h 47m
Worldwide gross: $848,073
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,250,617
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,545
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 136,381
US/Canada gross: $43,460
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $64,089
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,726
US/Canada opening weekend: $4,977
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $7,339
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,762
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Luna Zimic Mijovic – Sara
Leon Lucev – Pelda
Kenan Catic – Samir
Jasna Beri – Sabina
Dejan Acimovic – Cenga
Director(s)
Jasmila Zbanic
Writer(s)
Jasmila Zbanic
Producer(s)
Barbara Albert, Damir Ibrahimovich, Bruno Wagner
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
12 wins & 7 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (44) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (1)
This is a smart, moving film, and ultimately optimistic. Hate may have the questions, but love has the answer.
August 22, 2018
Deborah Ross
The Spectator
TOP CRITIC
[Director] Zbanic makes the awful seem commonplace and vice versa, while adding ominous shadows to Esma’s untold backstory. The war might be over, but fear and hope remain locked in a rapturous stranglehold amidst the rubble.
May 18, 2007 | Rating: 3/5
Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Grbavica increases in power as it progresses. It’s a movie about the ways in which people yearn for healing and about the many obstacles that work to prevent it.
May 18, 2007 | Rating: B
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
TOP CRITIC
Like its music, the film’s emotions proceed from lament to screaming screed to chorus of hope.
May 4, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
While Grbavica concerns a legacy of hatred, it’s also optimistic about Bosnia’s physical and emotional reconstruction. If the film’s final image doesn’t move you, you’d better check your pulse.
April 13, 2007 | Rating: 3.5/4
Jeff Shannon
Seattle Times
TOP CRITIC
The portrayal of a wounded society is compelling, and the film ends on a very modestly hopeful note, appropriate for a country where the ‘dreams’ have been mostly painful.
March 30, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Walter V. Addiego
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
This is a slice of Bosnian life, a powerful peek at average people trying to live their average lives despite the extraordinary and unthinkable things that lie in their past.
May 4, 2007 | Rating: B+
Winda Benedetti
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Lovely in its understatement, quietly but insistently demanding that Esma’s story, and those of too many other women, finally be told.
May 2, 2007
Sean Burns
Philadelphia Weekly
There’s really nothing new about the way Grbavica looks at the mother-daughter dynamic. But it’s still refreshing to see any film that does so with such honesty and realism.
April 27, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Jeff Vice
Deseret News (Salt Lake City)
Zbanic telegraphs parts of the drama a little too easily, but she draws heartbreaking performances from Karanovic and Mijovic.
April 27, 2007 | Rating: 3/4
Sean P. Means
Salt Lake Tribune
The kind of well-meaning film that actually gives well-meaning films a good name.
April 11, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Jasmila Zbanic also deserves our admiration for casting Karanovic, and for making a film of great power about the fate of that ultimate contradiction — a child born out of hatred.
April 9, 2007
Beverly Berning
culturevulture.net…
Plot
A widowed mother and her daughter struggle to survive in post-war Sarajevo, with the mother taking a job in a sleazy disco to pay for her daughter’s expensive school trip, while the daughter falls in love with an outcast.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Mirjana Karanovic delivers a “heartbreaking performance” as Esma in Grbavica, according to critic Winda Benedetti.
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