Turtles Can Fly

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Turtles Can Fly

PG-13

2004

1h 36m

Drama

War

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

87%

Tomatometer

71 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

In a Kurdish refugee camp in 2003, residents await the U.S. invasion of Iraq, hoping for Saddam's defeat but fearing a violent aftermath. Satellite (Soran Ebrahim) organizes children into work gangs, disarming and selling land mines to arms dealers. Satellite falls for Agrin (Avaz Latif), who comes to the camp with one-armed brother Hengov (Hiresh Feysal Rahman) and baby brother Riga (Abdol Rahman Karim). As the invasion starts, Satellite looks for a satellite dish so the camp can watch the war.

Critics Consensus

Set in Iraq after the fall of Saddam, Turtles Can Fly is being hailed as extraordinary, moving, and lyrical.

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Ann Hornaday

Washington Post

Despite its fanciful title, Turtles Can Fly leads viewers into a slough of despond, one in which not just hope is strangled but virtually any possibility for simple human kindness.

Sep 26, 2005

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Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

An emotional triumph.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jun 4, 2005

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Susan Walker

Toronto Star

A story that renders into poetry the sad facts of survival for child victims of war.

Rated: 3/4

Apr 22, 2005

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

A painful and moving film about misery, the human cost of war and the social condition in refugee camps. [Full review in Spanish]

Rated: 7/10

Jan 4, 2021

Full Review

Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

It's a political work, but Ghobadi's film is more in search of the common experience of humanity.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 6, 2006

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Enrique Buchichio

Uruguay Total

Una pelcula conmovedora, sugestiva y potica, donde gran parte de la conviccin proviene de sus increbles actores no profesionales.

Rated: 5/5

Apr 21, 2006

Full Review

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Bayad K

I can’t even count how many times this movie made me cry. Truly a masterpiece. Kurds really CAN make good movies.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/07/25

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Audience Member

my heart shattered while watching this film, I could not even begin to fathom their suffering.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

Beautiful, heartbreaking, sweet and sad. The young actors were all wonderful.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/10/23

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Audience Member

That was a masterpiece ♥️

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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Audience Member

One of the most incredible movies ever made. Honest heart wrenching and beautifully poetic.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

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Audience Member

Haunting and heartbreaking, this story focused on a group of children and their brave struggle to survive in times of war, shows a very fragile face of what conventionally does not set before us. It really is the kind of movies that captivate you and that makes you aware of serious and real problems in distant places.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

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Bahman Ghobadi

Director

Soran Ebrahim

Kak Satellite

Hiresh Feysal Rahman

Hengov

Avaz Latif

Agrin

Saddam Hossein Feysal

Pashow

Abdol Rahman Karim

Riga

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Synopsis

In a Kurdish refugee camp in 2003, residents await the U.S. invasion of Iraq, hoping for Saddam's defeat but fearing a violent aftermath. Satellite (Soran Ebrahim) organizes children into work gangs, disarming and selling land mines to arms dealers. Satellite falls for Agrin (Avaz Latif), who comes to the camp with one-armed brother Hengov (Hiresh Feysal Rahman) and baby brother Riga (Abdol Rahman Karim). As the invasion starts, Satellite looks for a satellite dish so the camp can watch the war.

Director: Bahman Ghobadi
Producer: Babak Amini, Hamid Karim Batin Ghobadi, Hamid Ghavami, Bahman Ghobadi
Screenwriter: Bahman Ghobadi
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Mij Film Co., Palace Films
Rating: PG-13 (Disturbing Images|All Involving Children|Mature Thematic Material|Violence)
Genre: Drama, War
Original Language: Kurdish
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 10, 2004, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters): Feb 18, 2005
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 19, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $256.8K
Runtime: 1h 36m

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