Turtles Can Fly

Synopsis

The film is set in a Kurdish refugee camp on the Iraqi-Turkish border on the eve of the US invasion of Iraq. Thirteen-year-old Kak Satellite is known as "Satellite" for his installation of satellite dishes and antennas for local villagers looking for news of Saddam Hussein and the impending war. He is the dynamic leader of the children, organizing the dangerous but necessary sweeping and clearing of the minefields, and then arranges trade-ins for the unexploded mines.

Satellite falls for an unlikely orphan named Agrin, a sad-faced girl traveling with her disabled but smart brother Henkov, who appears to have the gift of clairvoyance. The siblings are taking care of a three-year-old, whose connection to the pair is discovered as harsh truths about these children are revealed.

Crew

Produced, Written and Directed by Bahman Ghobadi
Director of Photography: Shahryar Assadi
Assistant of Writer: Mohammad Reza Kateb , Sepideh Shamlou
Planner and Assistant Director: Shahram Shah Hosseini
Second Assistant of Director: Jalal Saed Panah
Production: Hamid Ghavami , Batin Ghobadi, Hamid Karimi , Babak Amini
Script Supervisor: Nahid Ghobadi
Back Stage Cinematography: Abedin Ali Veisi
Photos: Bahman Ghobadi
Digital Editing: Geranaz Moussavi
Music: Hossein Ali Zadeh
Music Recording: Reza Asgar zadeh , Dohol Studio
Editing: Mostafa khergheh Poosh , Hayedeh Safi Yari
Assistant Producer: Bahram Sarbazi
Camera Assistant: Davoud Amiri
Cinematography Crew: Ali Kani , Ayoub Ahmadi , Toufan Hemmat
Sound Recorder: Bahman Ardalan
Mix: Masoud Behnam ,Hamid Naghibi
Mixing Studio: Paris Sanoten Studio
Sound Studio: Bahman Studio
Executive Producer: Abbas Ghazali
Production Manager in Iraq: Sheyk Mohammad Sadegh Sourchi
Editing Studio: Ourouj Film

Cast

1. Avaz Latif: Agrin
2. Soran Ebrahim: Satteliet
3. Saddam Hossein Feysal: Pasheo
4. Hiresh Feysal Rahman: Hangao
5. Abdol Rahman Karim: Rega
6. Ajil Zibari: Shirko

Awards

1. The Golden Shell (The Top Prize) from the 52nd San Sebastian Film Festival

2. The Jury Award for the Best Screenplay from the 52nd San Sebastian Film Festival

3. Silver Hugo- Special Jury Prize from the 40th Chicago Film Festival

4. The Radio-Canada People’s Choice Award from the 33rd Festival du Nouveau Cinéma, Montréal

5. Special Audience Award from the 28th Sao Paulo International Film Festival, Sao Paulo, Brazil

6. Special Jury Prize from the 5th Tokyo Filmex Film Festival, Tokyo, Japan

7. Agnès B. Audience Award from the 5th Tokyo Filmex Film Festival, Tokyo, Japan

8. Special Audience Award from the Asiaticafilmmediale Film Festival, Rome, Italy

9. The Best Director of Photography Prize from the International Festival of Auteur Films which, held from 20th to 27th of November in Belgrade

10. Mercedes Most Moving Award from the 19th Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, Florida, U.S.A

11. The Aurora Prize from Tromsø International Film Festival, Norway

12. The Best Audience Award from the 34th Rotterdam International Film Festival, The Netherlands, 2005

13. Special Mention from the 28th Kinderfilmfest/14 Plus of the Berlin International Film Festival, Germany

14. The Peace Film Award from Berlin International Film Festival, Germany, 2005

15. La Pieze Award from The Mexico City International Contemporary Film Festival (FICCO), Mexico, 2005

16. The Public Award from The Mexico City International Contemporary Film Festival (FICCO), Mexico, 2005

17. The Audience Award from the 19th Fribourg International Film Festival in Switzerland, 2005

18. The E-Changer Award from the 19th Fribourg International Film
Festival in Switzerland, 2005

19. The Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at the 23rd San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, United States

20. The Premio citta'di Milano and a Special Mention at the 15th African, Asian, and Latin American Film Festival

21. The Audience and Distribution Prize at the 16th NatFilm Festival in Denmark

22. The SIGNIS Award of the 29th Hong Kong International Film Festival

23. The Best Direction Plaque from the Iranian House of Cinema

24. The Top Prize of the International Competition from the 19th Esfahan Children Film Festival

25. Selected as the Best Feature Film by the International Children Jury in the 19th Esfahan Children Film Festival

26. Golden Dolphin from 21st Festroia Film Festival, Portugal, 2005

27. FIPRESCI Award at 21st Festroia Film Festival for the Best Film, Portugal, 2005

28. The Most Favorite Film at the Audience Poll, at the 54th Melbourne International Film Festival, August 2005

29. Anonimul IFF Trophy for the Best Film at the Anonimul International Film Festival in Romania, August 2005

30. Audience Award for the Best Film at the Anonimul International Film Festival in Romania, August 2005

31. The best Teen Film Award, TeenArena at Sarajevo Film Festival, August 2005

32. The Golden Prometheus Award for the Best Film from the 6th Tbilisi International Film Festival, Georgia, September 2005

33. Special Recondition Award at the Buster, Copenhagen Children Award, Denmark, September 2005

34. The Human Rights for Children Prize from 20th Osnabourch Independent Film Festival in Germany, October 2005

35. Freedom of Expression Film Award from 2006 Index on Censorship International Magazine, United Kingdom, March 2006

36. The Special Jury Award from the 28th Sao Paulo International Film Festival, Sao Paulo, Brazil

37. Special Distinction 2006 Award in the International Films Category, granted by the Chilean Art Critics Association, Chile, January 2007

38.The Best Audience Award from Bahrain Human Rights Internation Film Festival, May 2008.

39. The Best Director Award from Bahrain Human Rights International Film Festival, May 2008.

National Awards

1. Best Director Award from 8th Cinema House Celebration (Khane Cinema), Iran 2004
2. Best film of Iran Cinema Association Award from Esfahan Festival, 2004
3. Special Jury award of Iran Cinema from Esfahan Festival

Festivals Turtles Can Fly has participated in:

1. Toronto International Film Festival, 9th – 18th September, 2004, Canada. Section: World Premier
2. San Sebastian International Film Festival, 16th – 28th September 2004, Spain. Section: Competition
3. Pusan International Film Festival, 7th – 15th October, 2004, Korea. Section: A Window On Asian Cinema
4. Chicago International Film Festival, 7th - 21st October, 2004, North America. Section: International Feature Film Competition
5. Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival, 14th October – 21st November, 2004, Florida. Section: Official Program
6. Viennale - International Film Festival Vienna, 15th – 27th October, 2004, Austria. Section: Viennale Edition
7. Montréal International Film Festival of Nouveau Cinéma, 14th – 24th October, 2004, Canada. Section: Competition
8. CJ Asian Independent International Film Festival, 20th – 24th October, Korea. Closing Film of the Festival
9. 3rd London Kurdish Film Festival, 22nd October – 4th November, 2004, England
10. London International Film Festival, 20th October – 4th November, 2004, England
11. Sao Paulo International Film Festival, 22nd October – 4th November, 2004, Brazil. Section: Competition-New Directors
12. The 2nd International Disability International Film Festival, 11th – 14th November, 2004, Moscow
13. International Thessaloniki International Film Festival, 19th – 28th November, 2005. Section: New Horizons
14. Tokyo Filmex 2004, 20th – 28th November, Japan. Section: Tokyo Filmex Competition (Best Emerging Filmakers in Asia)
15. International Film Festival of Auteur Films, 20th – 27th November, 2004, Belgrade
16. Asiaticafilmmediale, 20th – 28th November, 2004, Rome, Italy
17. Issy Les Moulineaux International Film Festival, 20th - 28th November, 2004, France
18. Camerimage, 27th November – 4th December, 2004, Polland. Section: Main Competition
19. The Honolulu Academy of Arts, 2nd – 7th January, 2005, Hawaii
20. Palm Springs International Film Festival, 6th – 17th January, 2005, USA. Section: Competition
21. Kurdish Film Festival in Wien, 15th January, 2005
22. Tromso International Film Festival, 18th – 23rd January, 2005, Norway Section: Competition Program, also nominated for the Norwegian Peace Film Award
23. 34th International Film Festival Rotterdam, 26th January - 6th February, 2005, the Netherlands
24. Goteborg International Film Festival, 28th January – 7th February, 2005, Sweden. Nordic Premier
25. Spokane International Film Festival, 29th January – 1st February, 2005, USA. Section: Competition
26. Miami International Film Festival, 4th – 13th February, 2005, USA. Special Presentation, Section: World Cinema
27. Portland International Film Festival, 11th – 27th February, 2005, USA. Section: Best of the Festival Award
28. The 28th Kinderfilmfest of the Berlin International Film Festival, 10th – 20th February, 2005, Germany. Section: The New 14 Plus Competition
29. The Mexico City International Contemporary Film Festival (FICCO), 16th - 27th February, 2005. Section: Competition, Fiction Official Selection
30. UCLA University, One-Month Celebration of Iranian Cinema, 18th February – 18th March, 2005, USA. Opening Film
31. Sedona International Film Festival, 3rd – 6th March, 2005, USA. Section: Competition
32. The 19th Fribourg International Film Festival, 6th - 13th March, 2005, Switzerland. Section: Fiction Competition
33. Augsburg International Film Festival, 7th – 13th March, 2005, Germany
34. The 23rd San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival, 10th – 20th March, 2005, USA. Section: Competition
35. Cinema Novo International Film Festival, 10th – 20th March, 2005, Belgium. Opening Film
36. The Mar del Plata International Film Festival, 10th – 20th March, 2005, Argentina. Opening film
37. The Guadalajara International Film Festival, 11th – 18th March, 2005, Mexico
38. The 5th International Film Festival of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, 12th - 20th March, 2005, Spain
39. The 15th African, Asian and Latin American International Film Festival, 14th – 20th March, 2005, Italy. Section: Competition (Lungometraggi Finestra Sul Mondo)
40. The Bermuda International Film Festival, 18th – 24th March, 2005, USA. Section: Competition
41. The 23rd Cinemateca Uruguay International Film Festival, 19th March– 4th April, 2005
42. Hong Kong International Film Festival, 22nd March – 6th April, 2005
43. Vilnius International Film Festival "Kino Pavasaris," 1st - 10th April, 2005, Lithuania
44. The 16th Nat International Film Festival, 1st – 17th April, 2005, Denmark. Section: Main Competition
45. The 53rd International Film Festival of Mountains, Explorations and Adventures Città di Trento, 28th April – 8th May, 2005, Italy
46. The Rome International Children Film Festival "Alice in the city", 23rd – 30th May, 2005, Rome
47. FESTROIA International Film Festival, 28th May – 5th June, 2005, Portugal. Section: Official Section (FIAPF) In Competition
48. Taiwan International Film Festival, 25th June – 9th July, 2005
49. The 40th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival, 1st - 9th July, 2005, Czech Republic
50. Umbria Film Festival, Italy
51. 54th Melbourne International Film Festival, International Guest Section, August, 2005
52. Anonimul International Film Festival in Romania, Fiction Competition Section, August, 2005
53. Sarajevo International Film Festival, Bosnia, TeenArena Competition Section, August, 2005
54. Beirut International Film Festival (Umam), Lebanon, September, 2005
55. Reykjavik International Film Festival, Iceland, Human Rights Section, September 28th - October 8th , 2005
56. Buster - Copenhagen International Children Film Festival, Denmark, September, 2005
57. 6th Tbilisi International Film Festival, Georgia, World Competition Section, October, 2005
58. 4th Asian International Film Festival, Mumbai, India, International Section, October 2005
59. Films from the South Festival, Oslo, Norway, October 2005
60. 20th Osnabourch Independent Film Festival in Germany, Children Films, October, 2005
61. New East Film Festival, Bonn and Dusseldorf, Germany, November, 2005
62. 23rd Malmo International Children Film Festival, Sweden, February, 2006
63. 20th Riga International Film Festival Forum, Arsenal in Latvia, September 2006
64. Reykjavik International Film Festival, Iceland. 3x3 Section, Spotlight on Bahman Ghobadi, 28th September - 8th October 2006
65. Zamahwand 2006 (Kurdish Film Festival) in Manchester, England, September - October (In Partnership with BAFTA)
66. Montreal Cinemateque, Canada, October 2006 in Retrospection
67. Cineuropa Festival, Santiago de Compostela, Spain, 2nd - 30th November,2006
68. 4th London Kurdish Film Festival, England November 27th - December 3rd, 2006
69. Berlin Kurdish Film Festival, Germany December 9th, 2006
70. The Esperanza peace and justice center in Sun Antonio, Texas, February 2007
71. Austin Film Society, Austin, Texas, U.S.A, 6 March 2007 (Middle eastern films series)
72. the 1th kurdish Film Festival of Paris, 24th - 30th October 2007, France
73. 1st Bahrain Human Rights International Film festival, 30th April - 4th May, 2008
74. 54th Flaherty International Film Seminar 21-27 June, 2008, NY
75. Musuem of Modern Art (Moma) 27-7 July,2008, NY
76. Pyongyang International Film festival 17-26 September, 2008, North Korea
77. Etnia Film Festival 9-12 October, 2008, Turku, Finland
78. Iranian Film Festival in Louisville, 11 January- February 22, 2009, USA
79. Cape Winelands Film Festival, 21 - 29 March, 2009, South Africa
80. Iranian Film Festival in Laval-Mayenne, 10-24 March, France

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