Movie-Turtles Can Fly

It has been said war is hell, usually by the participants. But it can be hell too, for those living in the midst of war.

In Turtles Can Fly (2005) we are witness to a Kurdish town in Iraq as the American forces are about to cross the border to invade the country. These people are caught in the middle--on one side Saddam Hussein is afraid of them, and so cuts off all communication outlets in the area. He is afraid they will help the U.S. forces. On the other side is the U.S. forces who will come driving through this town, and may treat them as the enemy.

But war is not new to these people, with land mine fields all around the town, there are many children with blown off body parts. These people are not actors, but real kids who encountered these mines.

The movie focuses on a young man, a boy really, nicknamed satellite. He has a knack for getting satellite dishes working, and what the people here want most of all is information. When are the tanks coming, from where, and how many. Satellite is the leader of the seemingly orphaned children...and he tries to keep them safe, and let them earn some money from his business.

Despite the harsh aspects of the film, it is also heartwarming in many ways, as Satellite faces a rival for the kid's allegiance, as he tries to find love. It is also tragic, very much fitting the idea that war is hell. For these people, caught between two forces, it seems like it will get worse before it gets better.