Turtles Can Fly
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| Turtles Can Fly | |
|---|---|
 Turtles Can Fly film poster |
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| Directed by | Bahman Ghobadi |
| Produced by | Babak Amini Hamid Ghobadi Hamid Ghavami Bahman Ghobadi |
| Written by | Bahman Ghobadi |
| Starring | Soran Ebrahim Avaz Latif |
| Distributed by | IFC Films (USA) |
| Release date(s) | September 10, 2004 |
| Running time | 95 min |
| Country | Iraq Iran |
| Language | Kurdish |
Turtles Can Fly (Persian: Lakposhtha hâm parvaz mikonand) is a 2004 film written and directed by the Kurdish Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi, with notable theme music composed by Hossein Alizadeh. It was the first film to be made in Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein.
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[edit] Plot
The film is set in a Kurdish refugee camp on the Iraqi-Turkish border on the eve of the US invasion of Iraq. Thirteen-year-old Satellite (Soran Ebrahim) is known for his installation of dishes and antennae for local villages who are looking for news of Saddam Hussein and for his limited knowledge of English. He is the dynamic, but manipulative leader of the children, organizing the dangerous but necessary sweeping and clearing of the minefields.
The industrious Satellite arranges trade-ins for unexploded mines. He falls for an orphan named Agrin (Avaz Latif), a sad-faced girl traveling with her disabled, but smart brother Henkov, who appears to have the gift of clairvoyance. The siblings care for a blind toddler, who happens to be the son of young Agrin, for it is revealed that Agrin was raped several years ago.
[edit] Criticism
The film has a 90% rating of positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. The film however, has been criticized by many, including well-known left wing intellectuals like Tariq Ali, who say that despite a beautiful story line, the film is one-sided and seems to support the American invasion of Iraq.[citation needed] Significantly, the film is silent about what happens to 'Satellite' after the Americans finally land in their refugee camp. Other critics believe that the film reflects the true sentiment of Iraqi Kurds, many of whom suffered greatly under the dictatorship of Saddam Hussein and strongly supported American intervention.
[edit] Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Soran Ebrahim | Satellite |
| Avaz Latif | Agrin |
| Hiresh Feysal Rahman | Hengov |
| Abdol Rahman Karim | Risa |
| Saddam Hossein Feysal | Pashow |
| Ajil Zibari | Shirkooh |
[edit] Awards
- Glass Bear, Best Feature Film and Peace Film Award, Berlin International Film Festival, 2005.
- Golden Seashell, Best Film, San Sebastián International Film Festival, 2004.
- Special Jury Award, Chicago International Film Festival, 2004.
- International Jury and Audience Awards, São Paulo International Film Festival, 2004.
- La Pieza Award, Best Film, Mexico City International Contemporary Film Festival, 2005.
- Audience Award, Rotterdam International Film Festival, 2005.
- Golden Prometheus, Best Film, Tbilisi International Film Festival, 2005.
- Aurora Award, Tromsø International Film Festival, 2005.
- Golden Butterfly, Isfahan International Festival of Films for Children, 2004.
- Gold Dolphin, Festróia - Tróia International Film Festival, 2005
[edit] External links
- An extract with music
- Turtles Can Fly at the Internet Movie Database
- Review by Robert Koehler, Variety.
- Review by Maria Garcia, Film Journal International.
- Review by Ann Hornaday, Washington Post.
- Review by Anthony Lane, The New Yorker.
- Review by Carina Chocano, Los Angeles Times.
- Review by Nick Schager, Slant Magazine.
- Review by Jessica Winter, Village Voice.
- Review by Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian.
- Review by Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle.
- Review by Jason Anderson, Eye Weekly, Toronto.
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