|
MAROONED IN IRAQ Send This Review to a Friend
There is much heartache along with a vivid portrait of the plight of Kurdish refugees in the timely "Marooned in Iraq," directed by the creative Bahman Ghobadi, who co-wrote the screenplay with Fariborz Kamkari in addition to serving as producer and art director. Set in the aftermath of the Gulf War, the tale concerns Mirza (Shahab Ebrahimi), an aging well-known Kurdish singer who is in Iranian Kurdistan and sets off with his two sons to find his ex-wife and former singer Hanareh (Iran Ghobadi). She left 23 years before to marry Seyed, Mirza's friend and musician in Mirza's group. Mirza hears that Hanareh needs him and he still feels so much loyalty to her that he will make the trip despite all obstacles.
With myriad adventures along the way, the mission affords us an opportunity to get a sense of what life is like in that part of the region. The action is in the wake of the persecution of the Iraqui Kurds by Saddam Hussein, and they are focused on reaching the Iran border. In is within this context that the personal story of Mirza, his family and Hanareh unfolds.
Ghobadi and co-directors of photography Sa'ed Nikzat and Shahriar Asadi impressively capture the nature of the terrain where they film, but the events and relationships en route are what most command our attention. For example, there is a jolting discovery of a mass grave of Kurdish victims. It turns out that Hanareh, now in a camp for women, has been disfigured by a chemical attack and has also lost her voice. She does not want Mirza to see her. Then why did she want him to come? The answer is yet another step in showing the desperation of those who have been subjected to the terror that has wrecked their lives, and there is a poignant finish.
Especially in light of the recent invasion of Iraq and the problems that ensue, "Marooned in Iraq" becomes interesting for its portraits and insights into the lives of those who have been persecuted. The story itself is gripping as we get to know Mirza and the others and come to better understand what such characters have been enduring. A Wellspring release.
|