Customer Reviews

Half Moon

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Surely much of this wonderful film is lost in translation, for its mixture of comedy and pathos seems so much rooted in Kurdish culture, language, and customs, as well as the international politics that has divided up Kurdistan under three hostile governments: Iran, Iraq, and Turkey, with the intervention of a fourth (as this film notes), the U.S., represented by distant automatic gunfire in one scene. Director Bahman Ghobadi's narrative vision is matched by the sweeping views of wintry mountains - breathtaking in super widescreen cinematography - and it's possible to watch the film simply as a travelogue into remote regions of the planet.

But the depth and profundity of what Ghobadi has to ultimately say about Kurdish identity and independence has to be a matter of guesswork for a Western audience, divorced as we mostly are from our own cultural roots. What does it mean to keep alive a musical tradition that reaches centuries into the past, binds together generations both living and dead, and whose expression represents the continued resistance of a people to outside forces attempting to subdue and crush them? An audience attuned to musical fashion and plugged into their iPods is not likely to comprehend the significance of that question. Which is why this is a brave film, reminding us of how music has the power to embody who and what we are - not just ethnically, but as human beings. The haunting sound of the human voices in this film are the sound of our DNA singing.

It is no wonder that this movie was screened at my university in Michigan as part of the International Movie Festival; it was made for a Western audience. This movie will leave the viewer laughing, asking questions about this unique ethnic group called the Kurds, and will show some insight into the general Kurdish aspirations of stubbornly viewing themselves as "kurds" while defying current borders. This is by far Mr. Ghobadi's best movie production. Considering the fact that non of the actors in this movie are "professional actors" adds to the overall value of this movie.
I would highly recommend for anyone interested in far-away cultures or international movies to watch this title.

Others will mention the tale. For me, there was what I have come to expect from a Bahman Ghobadi film: humor, danger, tension and beautiful camera work. This time a bit of mysticism creeps into the film, adding a sheen to the story and making me hunger for the next release.