Les chansons du pays de ma mère

Marooned in Iraq was a movie that surprised me. I knew it was a story about a famous Iranian singer and his sons, also members of what used to be his band, traveling to Iraq to help his ex-wife who ran off with his best friend, both of whom were also in the band. But I also knew that it served as a political statement about the war. For this reason I assumed it would be somewhat sad, and kind of boring as movies about war put me to sleep. But I was pleasantly surprised to realize that it was actually an interesting, funny movie. Of course it was serious at times, but the interaction between the characters was hilarious. It kept my attention and did not focus too strongly on the war.

All of the actors in the movie were new to acting, and with some characters you could tell. But the main characters do an amazing job! They get really into their roles, especially the men that play the sons, Barat and Audeh. The music in the movie is very good as well. The background music makes you almost feel like you're there, and when the characters start playing music, it makes you wish you were there. Although the movie was made with a very small budget, I didn't see any problems with how it was made. I thought it looked fantastic.

Marooned in Iraq is a story about duty, endurance, and hope. Mirza knows it is his duty to help Hanareh, the ex-wife he still loves. She asked for help and he did not think twice about immediately leaving on a long, dangerous mission to aid her. Barat and Audeh know it is their duty to help their father. Although Audeh complains the entire time, he never the less goes with his father to retain the honor of his family. Endurance and hope is prevalent in everyone in the movie. Their homes, families, and lives are destroyed, but they keep going. They help each other and keep hoping that things will get better because that's all they can do.

This movie is very good and I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in the Middle East. It does a great job of showing the effects of war on the land and homes, and in the people themselves. It's also great for anyone who enjoys a good laugh and can stand subtitled movies. Although what was happening in Iran and Iraq at the time is depressing, it is an uplifting movie because it shows that even through tragedy life goes on.

I went to see this at a festival as a good-for-you topical film - kind of like eating brussels sprouts or something (apologies to those for whom brussels sprouts are a particular favorite). The filmmaker is an Iranian Kurd, and the film involves a journey from Iranian Kurdistan into Iraq.

Much to my surprise, it inspires a fair amount of laughter even in the context of extreme difficulties: a tent refugee camp for orphans in knee-deep mountain snow; voices and faces (never shown, but instead hidden in shame) disfigured by chemical weapons attacks and so on. These are present simply as part of the story's background, rather than like the shrill preachiness more typically seen on U.S. television news reports. Though I suppose one can't really fault journalists for being intensely serious when reporting on that part of the world.

The story is slim: someone is looking for something. They don't find it (her actually), but find other things which turn out to be of value. The man and his two (grown) sons have a larger-than-life bluster and recurring pratfalls which are a bit reminiscent of the Three Stooges. Laughter is good medicine, and these people have certainly earned the right to a heavy dose thereof. One example of the silliness: Our three travelers have their motorbike, clothes and musical instruments stolen by highway bandits disguised as police. Later, they get a ride on a truck and encounter two guys running through the snow in pastel-colored long undies and handcuffed together. They turn up a few times, always claiming to be cops but no one believes them, and they can't get any help.

Overall, an unexpected pleasure. Worth seeing.

Marooned in Iraq[First-viewing, cinema at San Francisco Film Festival, Kabuki Theatre in the city)(Bahman Ghobadi)- Shahab Ebrahimi, Faegh Mohammadi, Allah-Morad Rashtian

Ghobadi's follow-up to the brilliant, `A Time for the Drunken Horses', is just as stunning both visually and thematically. The cinematography in this film was absolutely marvelous judging by the difficulty it requires in such climates and places and the result which came of it (also one must take into account the low-budget of films in Iran). It's a story of Mirza (Ebrahimi) and his two sons (Mohammadi and Rashtian) journeying in the Kurd-populated province, Kurdistan, in Iran, and eventually into Kurd-populated part of Iraq (across the border). Mirza is looking for his ex-wife, Hanareh. Mirza is also a master musician in Kurdistan and his sons are musicians as well. This film starts out pretty funny actually in the first act, and one gets the sense of a more mature three stooges type film in a very tough atmosphere. However the film gets much stronger in its second and especially third act, as the story is sadenning, powerful and makes some very good points. Although the director was trying to make many points, and I'm not sure if he managed to convey all of them well, he raised some great issues about the society and personal lives of people and especially women. The film also had a beautiful score, provided by Iranian-Kurdish musician, Arsalan Kamkar. Although I preferred, `A time for the Drunken Horses' as it was the deepest and saddest Iranian film I have seen in the past couple of years and makes it point much clearer than this film, Marooned in Iraq is also a very good film which I recommend to any fan of international cinema. 9/10

Marooned in Iraq is a story about a Kurdish father named Mirza and his two sons living in Iran who embark on a quest to find Mirza's former wife who is the one marooned in Iraq. Straight from a modern soap opera, she left Mirza for hist best friend and broke up their band in the process. Something has happened and she has sent for Mirza to help her.

The story occurs during Saddam Hussein's brutal attacks on the Kurds. During the three men's quest, there is the constant reminder of Saddam's hostility by the sounds of bombers flying overhead and a scene of a mass grave filled with massacred Kurdish men. The director is evidently making his commentary on the inhumanity shown by the ruthless dictator.

Another political statement being made by the director is on the issue of political boundaries being placed on a historically nomadic people. The Kurds have occupied what they call Kurdistan for thousands of years in the area now politically divided between the countries of Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. During a scene late in the film, Mirza simply steps on the border between Iraq and Iran as he crosses over showing that to the nomadic Kurds, they heed no boundaries.

The director does a great job of using the terrain in the backdrops of each scene making you feel like you are there. Although the film is subtitled, not every word is translated; however, you get enough to understand the conversation. The film was quite educational on the life of the Kurds and what they went through under Saddam Hussein's regime.

I would recommend this film to anyone interested in the middle east, specifically the Kurds. If you don't like foreign/subtitled film, this movie is not for you. Overall, I enjoyed this film and felt it quite educational.

I must say that this film really amazed me. Marooned in Iraq did not have the best cinematography, or acting. What really amazed me were the characters Bahman Ghobadi created. The Kurdish culture defies all expectations of people living in a war torn area with so much grief upon them. Mizra a famous Kurdish singer and his two talented musician sons Barat and Audeh go on a journey to find Mizra's ex-wife. The journey takes place on the Iran-Iraq border during Saddam Hussein's attack on the Kurds. During the journey the results of Hussein's terror is seen as a constant reminder of the hardships that the Kurds have to endure. Even with all the reminders the trio set out on their journey and on their way comfort many grief stricken Kurds with their wonderful music.

The music in the film is so amazing that without knowing the lyrics I still felt entranced and could easily understand why music of the like is so cherished in a place torn apart by war. When ever music is not being played, and dialog not being spoken, you can hear the sounds of bombs and jets in the background. This addition of background sound creates much more than a setting. The sounds seem to be integrated with the Kurdish way of life.

It seems unbelievable that people that have gone through so much still have the heart for music and comedy in their lives. The ending of the film is very bitter sweet to me. The director leaves much to be imagined by the viewer. I like to think that everyone got exactly what they were looking for, even though they were not expecting to find it on the journey.

There where two very powerful scenes in the movie for me. The first being when the children threw the paper airplanes off the cliff side and the second being Mizra stomping over the Iran-Iraq border. They both feel like its the Kurds way of saying they cannot be bound to the land, and they won't be oppressed.

I would recommend this movie to anyone with an open mind, interested in learning about the Kurds from the Kurds, and willing to read subtitles. I do caution however, that the ending is typical of a middle eastern films, so do not expect the closure that comes with most western films.