Review of Turtles Can Fly (2004) by Raj D — 12 Jun 2008
When I am free and want to see some good movie, I go to the IMDb website and search for the highest number of votes for country wise films, hoping that the film would be the best of that country. Randomly I selected Iraq and this was one of the most rated. No idea what it was about ? I sat to see it.
The movie is about Iraqi war ? US is attacking Iraq under Saddam regime. The war is just starting, and there are already Sunni and Shai civil war in the remote Iraqi border villages; all these causes hundreds of children at left orphans and homeless. A 14 year old boy Satellite (Soran Ebrahim) is the leader of the orphan children. He fixes satellite and dish attenna in villages. Orphan children dig out US land mines which Satellite sells along with war scraps and feeds the children. 11 year old girl Agrin (Avaz Latif) and her elder 13 year old brother Pashow (Saddam Hossein) are orphan children ? Agrin raped by soldiers; and they are carrying a two year old blind baby of their neigbours who killed their parents. Agrin hates the 2 year old baby and wants to kill him, and Pashow wants to raise the baby as their own. Outgoing Satellite keeps on helping Agrin everytime he meets her. In one incident when Agrin leaves the baby to die in midst of land mines, Satellite saves the baby but is injured. Ultimately the Saddam regime falls and US win the war. The remaining bit I won?t tell you here ? to play spoil sports.
This is a starkling movie, just because the images you see on the screen are the images you have never seen before and just for the sheer reality of these children?s lives ? you gape and think at the absurdity of the war.
Director Bahman Ghodabi who had just gone to film the Iraqi war found thounsands of orphan children in villages and the idea of the movie poped his mind. He hired real children and made this movie.
It is a magical movie. All the children have acted so well. It is just unreal to see that ?life goes on? ? as lived by the children. A big lesson to learn.
The movie is sad, and our heart goes out for Agrin ? the 11 year old girl who is raped and hates the baby. Avaz Latif is brilliant. Soran Ebrahim as Satellite is superb. Many other kids have acted great.
The cinematography by Shahriar Assadi is outstanding. The scrap of war metals and tanks everywhere scares the hell out of our civil souls.
An classic movie, no sensitive soul should miss.
(Stars 7.75 out of 10).
This review of Turtles Can Fly (2004) was written by Raj D on 12 Jun 2008.
Turtles Can Fly has generally received very positive reviews.
Was this review helpful?
