Esma's Secret
Sara plays football with boys, gets in trouble at school, bunks off, and is touchy and unappreciative. Her mother, Esma, struggles with two jobs – she needs the money to send Sara on a school field trip. But something doesn’t quite ring true. This is Sarajevo and, as Sara’s father was killed fighting in the war for Bosnian independence, she should only have to pay a nominal fee. Esma, though, never gets the certificate needed.
When we discover why, this well-told story of everyday life becomes something deeper and darker. War doesn’t end when the bullets stop flying, its traumas eat away lives and pass down the generations. The ending is hurried and unconvincingly upbeat but this is a bold and otherwise compelling study of a horrifying but common aspect of war.
- Product information
- written and directed by Jasmila Zbanic
- Star rating
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Voices from the margins:
Multimedia: video, podcasts, and more.
- Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
- The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
- Iranian women speak out
- 3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
- Raised Voices audio:
- Benny from West Papua on Corporate Power
- Vinayan from India on agriculture
