Turtles Can Fly
Iraqi tale wins at San Sebastian
Iraq war film Turtles Can Fly - about a village awaiting the US invasion - has won the top prize at Spain’s San Sebastian Film Festival.
In a village in Iraqi Kurdistan, on the border between Iran and Turkey, the villagers desperately seek for a satellite dish antenna in order to keep updated on the impending attack of the Americans in Iraq… Coming from another village with his younger sister and her child, a mutilated boy has a foreboding: the war is getting closer and closer…
It’s difficult to say anything about this as I speak neithet Kurdish nor Spanish, but you can watch the trailer here:
Tuesday 28 Sep 2004 | Paul | Drama
This is an Iranian movie. Iraq doesn’t have a movie industry.
Iraq doesn’t have much of any industry at the moment. But to your point - I’ve just looked up the film on the IMDb and it’s listed as being an Iraqi/Iranian co-production.
But given that the film is shot in Kurdish and that writer/director, Bahman Ghobadi is an Iranian Kurd, it may be also be fair to describe the Turtles can Fly as being a Kurdish film.
It is an Iranian movie shot in the Kurdish language, that makes it as much a Kurdish film as the Passion of the Christ was an Aramaic one!
As for the stuff on IMDb, the internatioal distributer wants to cash on the media attention on anything Iraqi, thus labeling it Iraqi/Iranian. But, it is already on the screens in Iran. This means that the director was given the go ahead from the censors there, prior to the start of the production. The director is an Iranian Kurdish, he was born and lives in Iran. The same goes for the screen writer, producer, and most of the crew. Furthermore, the movies is going to be Iran’s entry to the Oscars. So, Who are we kidding here? Also, check the entry in this Persian movies database, see if you can make out ايران (Iran) in there:
http://www.30nema.com/movies/movies.asp?code=1250
Sorry to have taken so long to reply to your last comment - it’s been quite a hectic time for me recently.
When I said that Turtles Can Fly could be described as a Kurdish film, I was thinking more of Divine Intervention, which is listed on the IMDb as being a French/Morrocan/German/Palestinian co-production. But since the film was written and directed by a Palestinian and deals with the lives of Palestinians on the West Bank, I would describe it as being very much a Palestinian film - regardless of where the money to make it came from.
By the same token, my understanding of Turtles Can Fly (and I have to admit that I haven’t actually seen this film yet) is that it deals with the effect of the Iraq war on a Kurdish village.
Hi Everybody, about the film “Turtles Can Fly”. It is a film that has been made by a Kurdish guy and it is made in Kurdistan. Kurdistan is DIVIDED between Iraq-Iran-Turky-Syria. The producer is from Iran part of Kurdistan and it is made in the Iraq part from Kurdistan. I know that because I am Kurdish and from Iraq part of Kurdistan. The langauge is also Kurdish. Thank you.
Beautiful can’t wait for the movie ..
Thx for putting up the trailer!
hi fellas . just a few things i want to say about this film . first of all this film is screned and listed in all over europe as an iraqi fiml and there is no point in arguing because the film was shot in iraq all the actors are iraqi kurds its in kurdish lungeage it was funded by kurdish goverment in northern iraq ,,,,,,, and these are all facts . and ajab just want to remind just in case you have forgoten that iran is run by aytullahs and there no way that iran can make such a film in a million years . and last thing that i want to say is that dispite the war and all the dificult sitiuations that we been throgh we still have a film industry so dont dare say we dont have one .
I am American and just saw this film tonight. I was deeply moved and very impressed. Deeply moved because the imagery and story is poetic and beautiful; impressed because on all accounts — cinematography, acting, editing, writing, direction — this is an outstanding film, totally on par with anything America produces. The child actors were amazing. The cinematography was amazing. I have never seen anything produced from the Middle East and, yes, I was a surprised — most of the foreign films I see, mostly from Europe, are not so highly polished. Kurd, Iran, Iraq, wherever, whoever, you should all be proud. This movie will become a classic, a poetic account of the human costs and benefits of this war.
This film seems to illustrate poignantly and dramatically that the perils and spoils of war always come full circle; and rarely with desired results. Could Kurdish villages in the north of Iraq truly be anxiously contemplating a liberating effect of an American invasion of Iraq? What a perplexing phenom! The movie was masterfully done. It’s origins no matter.
well im kurdish girl…and i have seen those actresses and actors on an kurdish channel and they were talking kurdish…so whats the point???? this movie is kurdish not irani…or if it was irani why would they talk kurdish…why not irani?
I just saw the movie in Beer Sheva, Israel. Great film. Very moving. I am trying to figure out exactly were the film was shot. I know it was a Kurdish movie, but can anyone tell me, perhaps from the accents of the actors, in which state it was filmed. Were the kids Iraqi kurds? Anyway, it’s a great film.
I have seen the movie and it is a touching one .
What I feel is a movie camera was placed in the place and the film flows in to the camera.This is so natural. The child artists are superb and films should be something like this.
I don’t know why these iranians keep trying to steal the movie. it is Kurdish, we know because every one contributed in the making of the film is kurdish, and was shot in kurdistan. if this was a crap movie no one would be fightong over it here, since it is an awsome one, eveyrhting is tyring to say it is their’s. well it is Kurdish, and if it wasn’t for america and britain’s plan in 1921, it would be called a Kurdish Production Movie in imdb.
uh…why are you guys arguing over what movie it is? It’s a good movie and that’s all that matters. P.S. Soran Ebrahim is natural, is he a first time actor?
Regardless of the source (Kurdish, Iranian, etc.), it is a beautiful film. Does anyone know the title of the music that’s used in it’s trailer? The piece is not from the soundtrack.
The last comment postede asks about the title of the trailer music - exactly what I’m looking for, too, but there is no response. Does anyone know what it is, or Drew, have you found the answer?
The last comment posted asks about the title of the trailer music - exactly what I’m looking for, too, but there is no response. Does anyone know what it is, or Drew, have you found the answer?
I was deeply moved by this movie…sorrowful and uplifted. I would like to know more about the children who were the actors in the movie. Does anyone know where they are now? I understand this was their first movie. How did the director get the children? I wish every American would see this film when they are trying to decide about this war.
about the music.. perhaps u know hosein alizade iranian musician , it’s a great work
I’ve got the CD.on of the greatest I’ve ever heared specialy the first track (lullaby)
I saw this film last night. I found it incredible as it showed the universal truth of how it is always the weak and innocent that bear the brunt of war. The plight of the girl who was impregnated through being raped by soldiers was particularly compelling as you watch her abuse and kill the innocent child who was a result of that rape. This killing is in line with the principle above-it is always the innocents who bear the brunt of the suffering–but I can sympathize with her too-how can she love and accept this child that is the child of those who raped her and killed her parents? THe movie asks that question to me-How can you love those who oppress you? or remind you of your oppression? I am bit disgusted with all the talk here of whether this film is iranian, iraqi or kurd. Who cares? It’s art. It goes to show you what is wrong with this world that instead of unerstanding the deep message of the film people care more about what “group” it came from. It came from humanity-the ones that keep playing out this drama of killing the innocents with arrogant disregard-that’s where it came from
Hey everyone - I found the the music from the trailer! Finally:
Try this link: http://www1.playmusiconline.com/pages/cate…cfm?libraryId=6
Click on MAIN SERIES in the left window
Scroll down to KPM 412 Positive Evolutions
You should see a list on the right side pop up with tracks.
The version in this trailer is Track #16 “Imagine B”
One of those buttons beside it will let you play it in REAL PLAYER.
If that link doesn’t work, try to browse through KPM Library on the playmusiconline site.
enjoy!
Hi Salome, that link didn’t work. Is the the right one?
http://www1.playmusiconline.com/pages/viewcd/viewcd.cfm?cdnum=1515
Hi Paul,
That’s weird - your link did work for me, but the one I copied here didn’t seem to. I bookmarked the original one I used, but thanks for listing yours for other people - it’s also more direct!
Now, if ONLY I could figure out how to get a copy of it for myself; it seems the only way to hear it is to play it on realplayer…
Hello! I think this is a masterpiece, created by a talented director who after three months of searching around Kurdistan found these children to act in it (some of them were beggers).
They improvised alot while filming and i think this, among other things gave the movie the feeling of being something between documantary and fiction. It also has a poetic undertone conserning mind and destiny.
I read some facts in an article i found, so i can also inform you that the actors found a brighter future after this movie…Life goes on.
Oh yeah, they go to the city of Hewler in the movie so it might be filmed around that area towards the border. Hewler is aka Arbil.
I saw this movie while back and I enjoyed every minute of it. I was trying to find the name again and I ran to this web site and I sent it to my firend down here. I am an Iranian-American. After reading someof the comments, I felt really bad about that even the people that enjoy peace/movies/reality etc and dont care about politics still think about nationality and other BS that much. Sorry to say this. I lived in Iran and US, Half of my life in each and I never ever rememebre that in dealing with my my kurdish,Aramanian, Jewsh, Christian friends, I ever categorized them. There is no need for it guys. Wherevr you bron might have some meaning for you. your background might have some meaning for you. Just keep it, We have enough crappy web sites and news that when we look for the nice film and try to see what people are thinking about it, we should not run to kind of comments/objective etc. Just enjoy the film. Iranian-Kurdish guys worte something and somebody else produced it and shoot it in Iraq. Who cares if the movie is kurdish or Irani or iraqi or …. Have you guys seen Indian movie. They have more ethnics/languages that any where in the world and their movies are all mixed up. Just enjoy the life.
Hey salome if you want the song i can send it to you
contact at bananaz_sux@hotmail.com