Single mother Esma lives with her 12-year-old daughter Sara in Sarajevo's Grbavica neighborhood, where they struggle in the painful aftermath of the recent Yugoslav wars. Sara's only hope to afford an upcoming school trip is through a discount offered to the children of war martyrs, but Esma avoids Sara's requests for a certificate of proof in order to conceal a deep secret about her father. This powerful and haunting award-winning film reminds us that the violence of war continues to affect its survivors long after arms have been put down.