In Angelina Jolie's directorial debut, the actress' film showcases an unusual love story set during the Bosnian War of the early 90s. It has a limited release in the U.S. so not much press has been published yet but given the frank depiction of the subject matter--"ethnic cleansing", systematic rape camps, etc.--this movie does not look to be a comfortable film to watch.



Over the last couple of months I've slowly started delving deep into the history of the Bosnian war. At the time I was a teenager and followed the war quite closely, so I remember reading reports of rape, in particular Bosnian Muslim women as a means to shame the victim and dilute the gene pool. (Oh eugenics and centuries-old ethnic tensions!) All this research coalesced with a fantastic PBS series that recently aired centering on women's role in war and peace. Given the subject matter it is NOT an easy episode to watch but it's something I feel is important to acknowledge and understand as a tool of modern warfare.

*steps off soapbox*