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UPDATE: The US rights Grbavica have been picked up by Strand Releasing. Apparently, the film will run under the title "Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams." I am hopeful that American moviegoers will have the chance to see this film soon. I will post details as soon as I learn more.
UPDATE 2: I sent an E-Mail to Strand Releasing asking about the opening of Grbavica in the States, and I got this reply: The film will open in Feb. at the Film Forum in NY. Other dates to follow.
Keep your eyes open for the film “Grbavica,” which is likely to run in the USA under the title “Esma’s Secret.” The film won the Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival this year, and it is Bosnia’s Oscar candidate this time around. The story is set in present day Sarajevo, which is where Grbavica is, and it tells the story of a single mom and her daughter.
The film’s producer, Jasmila Žbanić, was born in 1974 in Sarajevo, where she still lives today. In accepting her award, she spoke about the victims of the war in Sarajevo, and called for the arrest of war criminals Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić. She is also critical of the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina as set forth in the Dayton Accords, as she writes in the LA Times. Her comments led to the film not being shown in the Republika Srpska, the Serb region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Apparently however, the black market DVD of the movie did a brisk business there. We also saw black market copies of the movie for sale in Sarajevo and Mostar.
While Žbanić doesn’t shy away from commenting on the political situation Bosnia and Herzegovina, the film is not primarily political. The film, which does not use any flashbacks to the war, is about the continuation of life after abuse, torture and violence. It is about coming to terms with the truth and finding a place to grow from there. The film’s main character, a victim of war, is not innocent herself because she too has dark secrets. It is also interesting to note that the film’s main character was played by the famous Serb actress, Mirjana Karanović.
We had the honor of spending some time with one of the film's production assistants while in Sarajevo this summer. I have yet to hear about a specific start date in the USA. As of this summer, the producers were still negotiating the American distribution rights. You can find out more about the film at: www.grbavica.at . Here is a posting of the film’s trailer in German: http://www.moviemaze.de/media/trailer/2773/esmas-geheimnis-grbavica.html
I hope that you have the chance to see the film. Let me know what you think if you do!Tags: bosnia and herzegovina, grbavica, jasmila zbanic, movies, news
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