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Metascore
85 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 31 Critics What's this?

User Score
9.4 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 91 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Avaz Latif, Soran Ebrahim
  • Summary: This third feature from internationally acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi is set in his native Kurdistan on the eve of the American invasion of Iraq. The devastation to this land and its inhabitants is revealed in the matter-of-fact perspective of the children and is equally displayed with every poignant detail of its unbearable nature. (IFC Films)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 31
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 31
  3. Negative: 0 out of 31
  1. Christian Science Monitor
    Reviewed by: David Sterritt
    100
    Superb acting and authentic details energize this rare Iran/Iraq coproduction.
  2. New York Post
    Reviewed by: V.A. Musetto
    100
    This isn't a war movie. Rather, it's a powerful, heart-tugging portrait of the innocent victims of conflict.
  3. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Staff (Not credited)
    42
    Lacks grace, coherence, and a surface vivid enough to make it an alarm that many will hear.

See all 31 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 47 out of 49
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 49
  3. Negative: 2 out of 49
  1. mubagreen
    10
    the story tooks place in the kurdish refugee camps in the iraq turkish border at the eve of the us invasion of iraq....how the cruelty of war decides the fate of the poor children of iraq kurdhish people. the performances by the children are top notch and heartbreaking.....as the story unfolds ,it is highly captivating and leaves you astonished . westerns have to learn a lot from this iran director bahman ghobadi. i will gave this movie a 10/10......a gem of world cinema… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. TL
    10
    An amazing film. Very well directed- I had to watch every minute. I don't think I would want to watch it again. It is disturbing and raw. One is affected, it isn't something one forgets about. Days later you're still pondering the possibilities. I don't think most Americans (outside of the US armed forces) have any idea of the impact of war in the Middle East. This film humanizes war, but is not preachy or overly political. The children are fantastic actors. I adored the child who was so faithful to Sattelite, who always got slapped by the elders. I felt that the ending gave you some hope, just to snatch it away five minutes later. It left me emotionally drained.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. JimF.
    2
    Poor quality sub-titles made this disjointed movie too much work to try to follow.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 49 User Reviews

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