Post by Drama Mama on May 8, 2008 17:00:44 GMT 3
From the opening sound of fighter jets streaking past the mountain tops in Kurdistan, you know that Marooned in Iraq by Kurdish filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi is going to explore the way people acclimate to life filled with endless war, conflicts and displacement. Having seen Ghobadi's A Time For Drunken Horses (a heartbreaking story of Kurdish children who survive by leading illegal caravans between Iran and Iraq as black market smugglers) and Turtles Can Fly (which depicts a village full of orphaned Kurdish children on the Iraq-Turkey border perched on the verge of hope right before the American invasion of Iraq and the subsequent fall of Saddam), this was my third film by the director who I consider one of the leading young filmmakers in World Cinema. His films are exquisitely crafted, with breathtaking visuals and powerful performances (often by non-professionals) who Ghobadi nurtures to bring reality to life in his films. Marooned in Iraq is no different.
The film depicts the story of two brothers (Barat and Audeh) whose father (Mirza) hears that the wife (Hanareh) who deserted him many years before, running off with his best friend, has now been stranded in Iraq. The family is one of musicians and thus, the film -- and their journey -- is one filled with music, and surprisingly laughter. In fact, Hanareh was also a successful singer and had fled Iran after the Revolution when authorities banned women singing in public. Early on we learn that the father never really divorced her twenty-three years earlier, as he tells his son he made up that story to preserve the family honor! One can't help but feel the wry irony at the revelation.
The father and sons set off on the motorcycle and side-car that belongs to Barat and head for Iraq -- which in this case means that Audeh has to leave his 7 wives and 11 daughters! He soon decides this will be the perfect occasion to pick up another wife on his trip (to bear him the son he is missing) so tells one of his wives to ready the "wedding room". And the journey begins. The three men don’t actually know it but they will each find something that will change their lives in ways they could not have predicted.
Gobhadi's films always show the struggles of everyday life in this world. In this case that means back-breaking labor making sun-dried mud bricks in the same manner originated by the ancient Sumerians and turning old metal shipping containers into habitats. But the life is also full of music and dance -- even children help to mix the mud for the bricks by essentially dancing barefoot in it up to their calfs. This is contrasted with an overcrowded refugee camp encircled with razor wire, where multiple generations will survive the cold, harsh winter in tents but also enjoy the spontaneous and unexpected concert put on by Audeh and Barat. Once again, the introduction of something as simple as music brings a sparkle to the eyes of young children. These marked contrasts in Marooned In Iraq are thought provoking and keep the film flowing between the broad range of human emotions.
Marooned In Iraqis one of those films that takes people in the most pitiful circumstances and shows you there is always someone worse off, highlighting the human survival instinct. These men who themselves lead a somewhat hard-scrabble life are confronted with the even greater hardships on their journey. After all, isn't it human instinct to remind yourself to be thankful when you see the pain and suffering of others? This is one of the things Ghobadi does best.
The film depicts the story of two brothers (Barat and Audeh) whose father (Mirza) hears that the wife (Hanareh) who deserted him many years before, running off with his best friend, has now been stranded in Iraq. The family is one of musicians and thus, the film -- and their journey -- is one filled with music, and surprisingly laughter. In fact, Hanareh was also a successful singer and had fled Iran after the Revolution when authorities banned women singing in public. Early on we learn that the father never really divorced her twenty-three years earlier, as he tells his son he made up that story to preserve the family honor! One can't help but feel the wry irony at the revelation.
The father and sons set off on the motorcycle and side-car that belongs to Barat and head for Iraq -- which in this case means that Audeh has to leave his 7 wives and 11 daughters! He soon decides this will be the perfect occasion to pick up another wife on his trip (to bear him the son he is missing) so tells one of his wives to ready the "wedding room". And the journey begins. The three men don’t actually know it but they will each find something that will change their lives in ways they could not have predicted.
Gobhadi's films always show the struggles of everyday life in this world. In this case that means back-breaking labor making sun-dried mud bricks in the same manner originated by the ancient Sumerians and turning old metal shipping containers into habitats. But the life is also full of music and dance -- even children help to mix the mud for the bricks by essentially dancing barefoot in it up to their calfs. This is contrasted with an overcrowded refugee camp encircled with razor wire, where multiple generations will survive the cold, harsh winter in tents but also enjoy the spontaneous and unexpected concert put on by Audeh and Barat. Once again, the introduction of something as simple as music brings a sparkle to the eyes of young children. These marked contrasts in Marooned In Iraq are thought provoking and keep the film flowing between the broad range of human emotions.
Marooned In Iraqis one of those films that takes people in the most pitiful circumstances and shows you there is always someone worse off, highlighting the human survival instinct. These men who themselves lead a somewhat hard-scrabble life are confronted with the even greater hardships on their journey. After all, isn't it human instinct to remind yourself to be thankful when you see the pain and suffering of others? This is one of the things Ghobadi does best.
;D
