This film garners a lot of praise in film circles, but I wonder if it isn't more a result of its novelty as the first Kurdish feature film than of anything that actually happens on screen.
Though a decent depiction and sympathetic portrayal of the bleak surroundings and life of a community of Iranian Kurds, the film is essentially similar to a lot of work that Majid Majidi has done, though it lacks his cinematic flair and storytelling skill. Surprisingly, for an amateur cast, the acting is pretty good (compare this with the abysmal acting in the vastly overrated film "Kandahar" by Mohsen Makhmalbaf), and the camera work is not bad, but again, there is nothing particularly novel or interesting about this film other than that is Kurdish. There is something almost patronizing about the praise that has been heaped on this film. It is as if no matter what a Kurdish director produces, it is going to be praised for its very existence, not as a work of cinema in and of itself. I personally think Bahman Ghobadi could have done a better job, and hopefully he will attempt to depict Kurdish life in a more dynamic and unique way in his next film. |
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