"Wolf and Sheep" was the very first film I saw at the 52nd Chicago International Film Festival this year and I must say it was a great way to start the festival. The film is about life in this little isolated village in the mountains of Afghanistan, and is directed by first time director Shahrbanoo Sadat.
The film has a very unconventional narrative style as there's no real beginning, middle or end. The film feels like one flowing scene that doesn't end nor begin for that matter. I can mostly relate this film to David Gordon Green's "George Washington" (2000), as it meanders through the film with no real plot, or climax.
The film mostly focuses its time on the children who live in this little village. Much like any other children, the girls hang out in their group and play games and gossip, while the boys have their group where they talk crudely to one another, and play dangerous games. Now all of the actors in the film were untrained and not really actors for that matter, and that ultimately brought a feeling of realism to the film knowing that they are just people who are literally playing themselves.
The film has an abrupt start and an abrupt ending. When the ending happened I literally waved my hands around in disbelief that that was the ending. But after some time to think I believe that an abrupt ending to the film was the best way to go. The film is simply about life in this little village where nothing exciting or climactic truly happens, and just like life, it starts abruptly and ends abruptly.
Now after the screening of the film, Shahrbanoo Sadat, the director of the film came up for a Q&A, which was awesome. She talked a lot about how she was born in a village just like the village in the film and was based on her childhood and her best friend's childhood in that village. I'm glad she talked a lot because I think it added more depth and perspective to the film seeing where she got her inspiration and motivation to pursue this film for eight years. She talked a lot about the struggle and journey of filming and just attempting to make this film since 2008. That my friends is what you call dedication and passion.
Overall I really enjoyed "Wolf and Sheep", I think it's a very unique film that brings someone's childhood and village life to a very slow paced, entertaining and at times comedic film.
