Review of Turtles Can Fly (2004) by Wut S — 11 Dec 2007

Precedent to America's invasion on Iraq, an apocalyptic climate surrounds villages and Kurdish refugee camps along the Turkey-Iraq border with ominousness (and hopefulness, for Kurdish refuges root for America). Villagers are unable to access news channels, children harvest land mines, inflation spikes. Anxiety is untamed, but for Satellite, a whiz-looking kid in his early teens, his days are energetically spent as the leader for a gang composed of orphans. He installs satellite dishes from one village to another, trades mines for money to feed his friends. Though his leadership is manipulative and controlling, it is essential for the group's survival--kids respect him and care for him.

Yet, the film does not centralize on youthful strength nor politics (though it IS a political film); but rather the effects of the foreboding war, the reaction it causes, as well as tragics and misfortunes that occur in between.

The film offers memorable cinematography, strong performances, intriguing backdrops, and contains political opinions. One of the slight withdrawals lies in the soundtracks--too "epic" clich�© for my preference.