Turtles Can Fly

Iraq. War. A story revolving around children in a refugee camp. Dread of gloom and melodrama (maybe for someone who grew up on Bollywood) descends. Its none of that, its not even the exact opposite .

I found this storytelling very powerful. Maybe because Coetzee's writing-caused-wow is still in my head, but i think this film reminds me of the way he writes. Not stopping to dwell or elaborate on emotions and struggles, taking you through a quick tour of people's lives. Where it departs from his writing stems from the cultural ground from which it is born. It does tell a very poignant tale injected with humour skirting off cliches. Rather it makes me think of cliches we don't register. Picture this, kids strolling through an ammunition bazaar, trading mines they dug out for rifles and ammunition. What emotion would you expect to accompany this visual? The first time i saw it i was sharing the sense of excitement and fun the kids are having at getting their new stuff.

I am replicating a very succinct and apt commentary on the film:
Heartbreak in the High Hills of No Man's Land., 13 March 2006
10/10
Author: PizzicatoFishCrouch from United Kingdom

"The trauma of war has been an issue much covered in cinema, but in this film, we are shown the impact that it has on those who are most innocent of all – the children. The orphaned children are a range of interesting characters presented to us here, from Satellite, a sharp TV programmer to Pashow, an armless but still doggedly determined boy. The supporting children are shown as bright eyed watchers of war, eagerly awaiting it so that they can try their hand at the missiles, which, at first sounds amusing, but then escalates into something much more horrific, and we follow their misadventures through grainy camera-work, improvised dialogue and flashbacks.

The performances delivered by the children are nothing short of astounding. In the lead, Soran Ebrahim is in parts a mixture of caprice, zest and energy, and it is he who grasps our heart and makes for the first, slightly more light-hearted part of the film. In a completely different role, Avaz Latif is the film's heartbreak, and the one that endures the worst. Her performance is wordless, but she manages to portray all her deepest emotions through a look or gesture. When we delve deeper into the plot to realise exactly how much her character has suffered, it is then that the horror of war kicks in.

Turtles Can Fly is not one for the easily depressed. Truth be told, after watching it, I was still in tears for several minutes, utterly helpless and wishing that something could be done about the constant loss of innocence. Its message is blatant, and though a bleak one, presented in a harsh, disturbing war, makes a welcome change from all the Left, Right and Centre propaganda given to us in the Media. Turtles is a film that speaks for itself; no advertising needed."