Review by scharnbergmax-se

"The Flowers of Kirkuk" is formally movie of Italy/Switzerland, but the entire crew is Kurdish, and it was photographed in Iraq. Almost all talking is Kurdish and Arabian. On the one hand, it is a political film about the oppression of the Kurds during the Saddam Hussein regime. Partisans are tortured and murdered. Groups of women and children are just collected, driven to a place without witnesses, and shot. On the other hand it is a love movie with a triangle. Najla has just finished her study in Rome and is a medical doctor. There is deep reciprocal love between her and Sherko, who is not an organized partisan but conceals many sick and injured fugitives. But Mokhtar, a police officer, loves her as deeply. He follows her trail, and the police arrests both Najla and Sherko. After some initial beating Najla is offered to become a police doctor. She accepts, because then she can collect and pass over the names of people who are murdered and tortured. She even stops an execution of women and children by fabricating that one of the girls has cholera and her disease may kill several soldiers.

However, when Mokhtar understands that he cannot get Najla's love anyway, he risks his life – and is indeed shot – by helping both Najla and Sherko to escape the country. - This is not the end of the movie.

During the last two or three decades many political movies have been produced, and many contain much violence. The prominence of love is very different. Half a century ago numerous movies contained intensive love, which might be the central part of the plot. It would be a matter of routine to compile a list of one hundred such movies.

But during more than two decades movies with deep love have almost become exceptional. One of the best of these exceptions is "The Flowers of Kirkuk". It is as much a love drama as a political drama. And it is one of the best movies released during quite a few years.