Esma’s and Sara’s Resilience in Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to analyse resilience in Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams, a film inspired by the Bosnian war, and which has succeeded to show through the daily lives of its characters, the effects of rape during wartime. The film depicts the resilience that countless of rape survivors and families show as they are left to fend for themselves. In particular, the film brings to the forefront the issues of trauma suffered by victims of rape and that of the discrimination faced by children born as a result. Although said to not be political, the film is a subtle appeal for change on behalf of these women and children.