Review of As If I Am Not There

I cannot explain my discomfort in watching this film. It is most definitely not for the faint of heart. However, it delves into a topic that is so important and yet so ignored. Throughout the film there is very little dialogue, the majority of the story is told through the face of the talented and powerful protagonist. The plot of the film is bleak and painful, but provides a real sense of the hell which hundreds of Bosniak women experienced during their internment in the Bosnian War. This film does not shy away from the torture and abuse the women faced, but it shows their strength in maintaining any dignity they could through the gruesome process. I think the director handled the topic with grace and created a movie that is both haunting and substantial, but I do wish that the film would have shown the struggles of Serb and Croat women who were also assaulted in large numbers during this time.