Early on in “Turtles Can Fly” the film uses quick and witty dialogue to draw the viewer in. The characters’ conversations provide an extensive background of whom we are watching without overkilling the technique. Two characters discussing a satellite provides crucial information and literally forces viewers to pay attention to the first movie to be made in Iraq since Saddam Hussein was removed from power.

But the movie’s dialogue never gets old and the film uses an extremely well thought out story arch and pacing to keep everything fresh. Taking place on the Iraqi-Turkish border, 13-year-old Satellite (played by Soran Ebrahim) is the leader of a Kurdish village thanks to his extensive knowledge on technology and the English language. While organizing a land-mine collection business to profit from his situation, Satellite meets a clairvoyant boy and becomes attracted to his younger sister. The film covers a variety of plot points, including Satellite befriending the girls’ brother, wooing the sister, all while maintaining a successful business and leading a village occupied mostly by senior citizens.

Watching the love between Satellite and the girl of his dreams is interesting in many aspects. The way Satellite is introduced, walking through a minefield swiftly and without a sense of fear or hesitation, provides a great starting point for the evolution of his character. Additionally, at many points Satellite’s actions are slightly creepy and raises the question of whether he is truly as tough as he proclaims or if it is all an act and really he is a nervous child at heart.

If the film has one flaw it is in the development of Satellite’s love interest. For a large portion of the film the girl remains silent and doesn’t express any emotion through facial expressions or even body language. At times it is hard to gauge what it is she is thinking, making it hard at times for the viewer to grasp how Satellite is doing overall in winning her over. Additionally, the film jumps between flashbacks and visions of the clairvoyant, and distinguishing the two at times becomes difficult and confusing.

But for a film that likely was not easy to make, it works amazingly well. Never does it alienate viewers, perhaps the best thing it has going for it. It would have been easy for director Bahman Ghobadi to make a film that had some sort of message on the U.S. occupation of Iraq and attacked those who felt a certain way politically about the politics surrounding it. But luckily, he makes the courageous and admirable choice of simply making a good movie that appeals to everyone.

– Scott Hansen