This post is a part of an ongoing project in which I watch one movie from a different country every other week.
PLOT: Near the Iraqi-Turkish border, on the eve of an American invasion, refugee children await their fate. The film follows three children in particular: Satellite (Soran Ebrahim ), a street-smart youth who leads a gang of kids, Agrin (Avaz Latif), a bitter young woman who reluctantly cares for a blind child and Hengov (Hiresh Feysal Rahman), who has lost both his arms and may or may not have been cursed with clairvoyance.
MEMORABLE MOMENT: One of the refugee children, Hengov (Hiresh Feysal Rahman) has no arms but still manages to disable landmines. The audience sees a closeup of his face as he uses one of his stubs, which is only a few inches long, to lift the mine’s lids. He then bites down and lifts the explosive out of the casing. The camera cuts to his sister who watches him work. Both are on the verge of panic.
I have watched few scenes in which child actors, or any actors for that matter, are able to convey such absolute terror.
THE IDEAL AUDIENCE: This is a very rough film.
Very rough.
Turtles Can Fly is less a movie that most people will want to see for entertainment purposes and more a movie people should see to be aware of what has taken place in the world. I know that’s not the best advertisement, sort of like a cinematic “Eat your vegetables.”
However, while this film is set well over a decade ago, there are, at this exact second, countless refugee children around the world. We should be watching and supporting films like this one. No, it isn’t a pleasant experience and (although there are a few humorous moments) it isn’t entertaining, but movies have the potential to do more than entertain. This movie puts a face to refugee children and reminds us that each and every one of them has a personality and a story.
At the risk of sounding preachy, my suggestion is that most people should watch this film. Just choose an evening when you can accept that you are going to experience something very hard to watch. I get that this can be hard for a lot of us who have stressful jobs and busy schedules. Many of us don’t want to spend an hour and a half watching something that will make us feel sick with misery. To be honest, I relate. But I still say go for it. You’ll be a more aware person in the long run.
- All of the child actors in this movie were actual refugees.
- This is the first film to be made in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein.
WHERE CAN YOU FIND IT: You can probably borrow it for free from your local library. It is also available on Netflix DVD. You could also rent it from Amazon for $4.99 or buy it for $14.99.
RUNTIME: 98 Minutes
DIRECTOR: Bahman Ghobadi
WRITER: Baman Ghobadi
STARING: Soran Ebrahim
