Turtles Can Fly (2004) - 97 min

Country: Iran
Director: Bahman Ghobadi
Cast: Soran Ebrahim, Avaz Latif, Hiresh Feysal Rahman & Abdol Rahman Karim.
A 13 year old boy nicknamed Satellite is our hero who controls the entire refugee camp near the Turkish border. Every person, including governor needs him and Satellite is the star of the camp.
It's a heart breaking film from Bahman Ghobadi which talks about children's survival instinct and Bahman dedicated this movie to all innocent children in the world. Award winning cinematographer Shahram Assadi makes each scene looks simple and at the same time making a strong impression on the viewer's emotions. It was the first film made in Iraq after Saddam Hussein arrest and it won many awards. The children who act in the movie were once Iraqi refugees themselves and they possess a considerable amount of emotions throughout the movie. Overall, it's been a few weeks since I saw this movie and the ending still haunts me.
Verdict: Good

Bekas (2012) - 97 min

Country: Iraq
Director: Karzan Kader
Cast: Zamand Taha, Sarwar Fazil & Diya Mariwan.
It tells the story of two young brothers, Zana and Dana. They are orphans who live on the streets of Kurdistan. After watching a Superman movie, they decide to go to America to meet him personally and share their problems.
Bekas attempts to talk about the situation in Kurdistan during the 90s. Unfortunately, The strong performances from Zamand Taha and Sarwar Fazil provide an unforgettable experience for the viewer, which force the audience to forget about all the political side of the story. The Johan Holmqvist's cinematography looks gorgeous, showing some beautiful mountains of Kurdistan situated in Iraq. Kader's direction also needs appreciation to make it more realistic and at the same time providing an engaging adventure ride feeling too. Overall, it's a movie that drew you into the passionate journey of the two kids and a must-watch if you like 'Kakkamuttai' kinds of stuff.
Verdict: Great