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	Time for Drunken Horses Ayoub Ahmadi, Rojin Younessi Jef Films/Mvd, 2003 average customer review:based on 5 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

The name of the film comes from the fact that the conditions in the mountains are so bad that the smugglers have to get the mules drunk so they'll go.

This movie ends in uncertainty, rather than having the tidy plot and finish so common in American movies. I highly recommend it.

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Heartbreaking, phenomenal

Incredible in storyline, filmography, a truly important film for people to see all over the world. Tragic and yet inspiring in subject matter--the most convincing and truly heroic effort of survival. Recommended for all--schools may particularly want this film as part of world culture/current events classes, Americans will want to see this film as a reminder that there are real human faces of sadness and hope behind the politics of nations at war.


Relentless Description of Reality and Power Of Cinematic Imagery

The strong feature debut of Iranian director Bahman Ghobadi (`Turtles Can Fly' 'Marooned in Iraq') is a simple story against the background of stark reality of the Kurds living in Iran, or I should say, in Kurdistan the area that includes south-eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, and western Iran. In this `A Time for Drunken Horses' Ghobadi a Kurd himself shows how children must survive on their own in Kurdish village, doing illegal (and highly dangerous) job of smuggling across the border between Iran and Iraq.

Ayoub is a 12-year-old boy who works in the town nearby, and he takes care of his elder physically handicapped brother Madi. Madi is slowly getting worse, and Ayoub knows that his brother needs an operation. Madi has also two sisters Rojin and Ameneh, but lost his mother recently, and another sad news arrive - the death of his father on the smuggling trip.

Now Ayoub must quit the school and work for his remaining family. This means Ayoub has to follow the footsteps of his father, who went across the Iran-Iraq border as smuggler. But the road is covered with snow, and the trip is risky because of the landmines and soldiers. And the employers may not be trustworthy. Even the mules have to endure very tough trek in the heavy snow (and people have to have them drink whiskey - hence the title though the director changed it to "horses").

[BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE] Following the tradition of Iranian films in which the line that divides fiction and non-fiction is blurred, Ayoub is played by real-life Kurd boy Ayoub Ahmadi, and Madi by Madi Ekhtiar-dini. They are no professional actors, but the fact works to make the film realistic, sometimes almost like documentary. But what is most impressive is the stunning beauty of the landscapes. The images are often poetic, but still never fail to capture the life of the people living there. You have never seen anything like the awe-inspiring scenes in which the smugglers walk in the snowfield with the mules carrying two huge tires strapped to their sides.

Probably not every Kurdish child lives a life like this, and `Marooned in Iraq' Bahman Ghobadi's follow-up to `Drunken Horses' shows a different aspect of the life of Kurdish people (about music in particular). Thus you can see the film as political message from the unjustly treated people, but at the same time it is strong with a more universal theme about the children who must confront the hard reality of life. Either way, the film is unforgettable.

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A Gem of A Film

This is film that requires patience and close attention to appreciate. It's definitely not for everyone, but those who enjoy obscure little gems will want to give this one a look. It took me a while to understand the plot, and then my interest in the movie increased significantly.

As others have commented, the film provides a candid glimpse of the austere, dangerous life that many Kurds in northern Iraq must endure. This is a lifestyle that will amaze and startle most viewers who live in developed countries.

Without spoiling the plot, I'll simply state that this is a film of family love and sacrifice that will touch your heart. Just remember that the story doesn't follow the typical Hollywood formula.

Be patient and ENJOY!

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Iranian Formula - Kurdish Faces

This film garners a lot of praise in film circles, but I wonder if it isn't more a result of its novelty as the first Kurdish feature film than of anything that actually happens on screen.
Though a decent depiction and sympathetic portrayal of the bleak surroundings and life of a community of Iranian Kurds, the film is essentially similar to a lot of work that Majid Majidi has done, though it lacks his cinematic flair and storytelling skill. Surprisingly, for an amateur cast, the acting is pretty good (compare this with the abysmal acting in the vastly overrated film "Kandahar" by Mohsen Makhmalbaf), and the camera work is not bad, but again, there is nothing particularly novel or interesting about this film other than that is Kurdish. There is something almost patronizing about the praise that has been heaped on this film. It is as if no matter what a Kurdish director produces, it is going to be praised for its very existence, not as a work of cinema in and of itself. I personally think Bahman Ghobadi could have done a better job, and hopefully he will attempt to depict Kurdish life in a more dynamic and unique way in his next film.

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