Gomgashtei dar Aragh

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.

I've seen films in DOZENS of different languages...To the best of my recollection; MAROONED IN IRAQ is the first film I have ever seen in Kurdish! What an interesting window into Kurdish culture, recent history, music and traditions director Bahman Ghobadi has provided us!

"...If I leave town, what will happen to my 7 wives and 11 daughters?" says son Audeh to father Mirza. With those words it really doesn't take much for the viewer to figure out why Audeh keeps taking on more wives, does it?

MAROONED begins with a claim that The Kurds, numbering about 30 million and forming sizable ethnic minorities in several different countries, are the largest ethnic group in the world without a country of their own. However, I was unable to confirm this claim.

Please be patient with MAROONED. About 15 or 20 minutes in, I said to myself, "If this doesn't flag my interest soon, it isn't going to!" Soon after, I was mesmerized! This film evoked just about every human emotion imaginable. About 3/4 of the way through, I touched my cheek, and to my immense chagrin, I found I had teared up, but yet, I still can't put my finger on why! 10 minutes later a scene in MAROONED proved that on-screen hysterical grief can be contagious! Watching and learning about these Western Asian traditionally nomadic people fascinated me. How they maintain perspective and their sense of humor despite having been the object of genocidal efforts from Sadam Hussein is absolutely inspirational!

Director Ghobadi has a penchant for pulling the rug out from under the viewer's feet. One moment the father and two sons family are doing a Three Stooges out-take, and the next moment are mourning the death of a friend; Are performing some music in public that's reminiscent of the Bar scene from Star-Wars, and a moment later they're staring genocide in the face. Ghobadi manages these rapid-fire transitions magnificently...KUDOS!

8.25/10*

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.

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.

Family, laughter, music and unlikely endings, "Marooned in Iraq" is a fill that offers a much different point of view of the Middle East than most American's are accustomed to. This story of a father and his two son's search for happiness by leaving their homes in Iran to cross the border into war torn Iraq shows a more humanistic view of the effects of war. Each man is searching for something to fulfill their lives amidst the great turmoil.

The film really focused on how small people are by themselves and how they really have no control over what happens. He often showed scenes where the characters were traveling alone along broad backdrops of huge landscapes. The director really seemed to want to get the point across that these men might be together, but they were such a small part of this enormous world.

It was surprising how light-hearted some of the film was. For instance, the time spent with the orphans was not a dark gloomy time, but a time of music, dancing and happiness. At the same time, the sound of actual jets brought the viewer back to the reality that all of these children had lost their families because of this brutal war.

From the view of an American, this movie was extremely interesting. Sometimes I think we would like to think that war in the Middle East does not affect many, because many of us are not directly affected, but this film shows the other side. People who are interested in seeing the other side of this Middle Eastern conflict should watch this movie and witness the hardship these people must live through on a daily basis.