Before yesterday, I didn't know ANYTHING about Bosnian actors or directors. I only went to see it because of Leon Lucev - I know him from Sta je muskarac bez brkova. Well, I discovered Jasmila Zbanic, Mirjana Karanovic, Luna Mijovic yesterday. Both actresses were brilliant. The director managed to show normal life of Sarajevo, it was so easy to identify with Esma and Sara's problems, even for people who never had such traumatic experience.
That's why the ending was even more shocking. I had tears in my eyes (and that happens very rarely, I'm not sentimental at all) - and when I secretly looked around, I saw all the others have tears in their eyes, too.
One little off-topic comment: I saw here comment that Esma shouldn't swear to Tito in the film, because she was too young when Tito died, and her generation didn't feel Titoism so strong. I was only 3 when Tito died. But even 8 years AFTER he died, we (in Croatia) still had to sing "Comrade Tito, we swear to you not to turn off your path" and "Comrade Tito, white violet, all young people love you. Young and old love you, you are our pride and our hope" - we had to sing it on all school events on holidays.
That's why the ending was even more shocking. I had tears in my eyes (and that happens very rarely, I'm not sentimental at all) - and when I secretly looked around, I saw all the others have tears in their eyes, too.
One little off-topic comment: I saw here comment that Esma shouldn't swear to Tito in the film, because she was too young when Tito died, and her generation didn't feel Titoism so strong. I was only 3 when Tito died. But even 8 years AFTER he died, we (in Croatia) still had to sing "Comrade Tito, we swear to you not to turn off your path" and "Comrade Tito, white violet, all young people love you. Young and old love you, you are our pride and our hope" - we had to sing it on all school events on holidays.