A Flag Without a Country

Synopsis

“The plight of children in wartime, often a central concern in the work of Bahman Ghobadi, comes once more to the fore in “A Flag Without a Country”, a moving if scattershot documentary portrait of two individuals — a singer and a pilot — reaching out to some of the young Kurdish refugees that have recently poured into Iraq from Syria. Drawing an arc between his subjects’ memories of earlier conflicts and ISIS’ murderous present-day onslaught, Ghobadi fashions a loose-limbed tribute to Kurdish resilience that walks a thin line between despairing and inspiring. (…) “A Flag Without a Country” is unmistakably Ghobadi’s impassioned tribute to the creativity and courage of his people, and the sense of solidarity they have maintained despite their tumultuous history. But the film is also a memory piece that seeks to link the ongoing crisis with those that have preceded it. Luv recalls her own history as a child of the Persian Gulf War, during which her family fled from Iraq to Iran to Turkey and finally to Europe, where they settled down in Finland. Anwar flashes back to the time he built his first plane during the Iran-Iraq War, intending to impress the family of his potential fiancee — only to find himself barred from flying due to airspace restrictions.” (Justin Chang, Variety)

Around The World in 14 Films 2016, presented by Soleen Yusef – in attendance of director Bahman Ghobadi, Narimar Anwar and other team members.