Turtles Can Fly

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Turtles Can Fly

Turtles Can Fly film poster
Directed by Bahman Ghobadi
Produced by Babak Amini, Hamid Ghobadi, Hamid Ghavami, Bahman Ghobadi
Written by Bahman Ghobadi
Starring Soran Ebrahim,
Avaz Latif
Distributed by IFC Films (USA)
Release date(s) September 10, 2004
Running time 95 min
Language Kurdish
IMDb profile

Turtles Can Fly is a 2004 film written and directed by the Kurdish filmmaker from Iran Bahman Ghobadi, with notable theme music composed by Hossein Alizadeh. It was the first film to be made in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Contents

[edit] Plot

The film is set in a Kurdish refugee camp on the Iraqi-Turkish border on the eve of the US invasion of Iraq. Thirteen-year-old Satellite (Soran Ebrahim) is known for his installation of dishes and antennae for local villages who are looking for news of Saddam Hussein and for his limited knowledge of English. He is the dynamic, but manipulative leader of the children, organizing the dangerous but necessary sweeping and clearing of the minefields.

The industrious Satellite arranges trade-ins for unexploded mines. He falls for an orphan named Agrin (Avaz Latif), a sad-faced girl traveling with her disabled, but smart brother Henkov, who appears to have the gift of clairvoyance. The siblings care for a toddler, whose connection to the pair is discovered as harsh truths are revealed.

[edit] Cast

Role Actor
Soran Ebrahim Satellite
Avaz Latif Agrin
Hiresh Feysal Rahman Hengov
Abdol Rahman Karim Risa
Saddam Hossein Feysal Pashaw
Ajil Zibari Shirkooh

[edit] Awards

  1. Glass Bear, Best Feature Film and Peace Film Award, Berlin International Film Festival, 2005.
  2. Golden Seashell, Best Film, San Sebastián International Film Festival, 2004.
  3. Special Jury Award, Chicago International Film Festival, 2004.
  4. International Jury and Audience Awards, São Paulo International Film Festival, 2004.
  5. La Pieza Award, Best Film, Mexico City International Contemporary Film Festival, 2005.
  6. Audience Award, Rotterdam International Film Festival, 2005.
  7. Golden Prometheus, Best Film, Tbilisi International Film Festival, 2005.
  8. Aurora Award, Tromsø International Film Festival, 2005.
  9. Golden Butterfly, Isfahan International Festival of Films for Children, 2004.
  10. Gold Dolphin, Festróia - Tróia International Film Festival, 2005

[edit] External links