Enlightenment by Film

I thought I might write about the wacky, weird Australian movie, Alexandra’s Project, my movie buds and I viewed Tuesday night. But last night’s movie at the I-House, Turtles Can Fly, trumped that one by far. Turtles Can Fly was extremely moving and very educational. I now understand far more about the plight of the Kurds in the world. There were two very informed Iranians at this viewing who answered my questions with diverse and first-hand knowledge. Written, directed AND produced by Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi, the film features local non-actor children. Ghobadi, I’m told, prefers his stories be expressed through the eyes of children. This one is about the lives of Kurdish children living on the Iran-Iraq border on the eve of the American invasion of Iraq. I wish more of these types of movies made it to the big screen in Knoxville. I am grateful, however, that the University is committed to showing many international films throughout the year for the benefit of the University community. Now, it seems apparent that I must see another of Ghobadi’s films, A Time for Drunken Horses. It’s the story of a Kurdish family on the Iran-Iraq border dealing with the illness of its youngest member. As one critic states: "what makes A Time for Drunken Horses such a must-see film is not its powerful authenticity, but the fact that it's the most emotionally engaging film I've seen all year. I was hooked from the first minute, and despite the awful topic, there are many pleasures in this film." I'm already in the process of getting it via NetFlicks from a friend's account.
Have a great weekend! I'm going to enjoy the students being on Spring Break and being able to park in front of my house. :)