Grbavica (2006)
8/10
Heartbreaking
24 August 2009
In Grbavica, Sarajevo, Esma Halilovic (Mirjana Karanovic) raises her teenage daughter Sara (Luna Mijovic) alone with many difficulties and working in double-shift. Every now and then Esma participates in a group therapy with other traumatized Bosnian women that have survived to the Balkan War. Esma needs two hundred Euros for the school trip of Sara and is working hard to raise the amount. When Sara is informed by her teacher that the martyr certificate of her father would grant her to travel for free, she presses her mother to give the document. But Esma borrows the money and pays the full price and Sara forces her mother to disclose the truth about her father.

"Grbavica" is a heartbreaking movie about the violence against women in the Balkan War. The touching and credible story is very simple but discloses in a very delicate way through the relationship of a mother abused in a women's camp and her spoiled and rebel teenage daughter. The performance of Mirjana Karanovic and the direction of Jasmila Zbanic are awesome and the result of their work will certainly bring tears to sensitive viewers. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Em Segredo" ("In Secret")
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