Set in Sarajevo's Bosnian neighborhood,Grbavicais a gripping love story between a mother and daughter struggling against prejudice and poverty. Director Jasmilla Zbanic's debut is surprisingly tender considering the film's extremely depressing subject matter. For example, the film opens on Esma (Mirjana Karanovic), a middle-aged mom who gets night shifts bartending at a seedy strip club by lying to the owner that she is childless. Following this scene, however, Esma pillow fights her teenage daughter, Sara (Luna Mijovic), in their meager apartment, immediately establishing their bond. Undependable men come and go, such as Puska (Emir Hadzihafisbegovic), a fur-sporting sleaze who tries to hire Esma's only love interest as a hitman.Grbavica'splot centers around Esma's attempts to save money for Sara's field trip, and Sara's aroused suspicion about her allegedly dead Shaheed father. Esma's failure to produce his death certificate leads Sara closer to the gruesome truth about her real history.Grbavicaprovides viewers a glimpse into daily Croatian life, by finessing tragedy and comedy into one story. Potential pitfalls, such as Sara's involvement with a gun-toting boy at school, are narrowly averted to prove real resilience.Grbavicais a tale that represents women and children affected by war, in their loss and strengthened love that promotes healing.--Trinie Dalton