My Sweet Pepper Land

In a remote section of the land of the Kurds, in a remote section, of, Kurdistan, a raw independent audacious subject, committed above all else to upholding law and order, a hero to his people, fearless of the unknown, begins to confront village crime, directly, stubbornly, and effectively, dedicated instinctual calculated improvisation, challenge discovered, in the interests of nation building.

Also living in the village, attempting to teach its uneducated school children, is a feisty strong-willed educator, who also has trouble handling entrenched corruption, refusing to marry at the request of her brothers (who live elsewhere), subverting what they consider to be their lawful authority, majestically playing the hang drum.

Discovered the name of her instrument from Jordan Hoffman's research.

I think of the film as having two main thrusts, Baran's (Korkmaz Arslan) attempts to install a sense of justice in the region, and the coming together of Baran and Govend (Golshifteh Farahani).

It has elements of the classic American Western but its budget prevents it from convincingly executing in this domain.

However, Baran and Govend's relationship forges a very convincing kinetic bond, reminding me more of Bollywood than Hollywood, tumultuously holding the film together.

Hiner Saleem's My Sweet Pepper Land is no minor film in terms of what he sets out to do (have to discuss the ending here).

With the fall of Saddam Hussein, the Kurds have achieved a degree of independence.

My Sweet Pepper Land asks what can be done with this newfound independence, how should our nation be built?

Patriarchal authority is strong in the film, counterbalanced, however, by both Govend and a group of female guerrilla fighters.

Both Baran and Govend are interested in nation building, through governance and education respectively, yet resist familial pressures to marry someone for whom they have no feelings.

It's more of a Western model.

It seemed like Saleem was saying that if Kurdistan is to come into being, it should be guided by a strong sense of morality (Baran's law upholding), yet, Govend and Baran's union indicates that he believes that that strong sense of morality should be influenced by substantial individual freedoms.

My Sweet Pepper Land's brilliant move comes near the end when Govend firmly resists the demands of her brothers.

I was expecting Baran to show up to assist, but he doesn't, she resists on her own.

The ending sees them calling out to one another in the wilderness, searching for the other's embrace. The credits role before they find one another, thereby suggesting that the possibility for substantial individual freedoms as well as equal opportunity regardless of gender exist within Kurdistan's developing autonomy, and it's up to progressively minded Kurdish people, to bring Govend and Baran together.

Hoping the soundtrack becomes available.

Saleem does make the most of his budget, peppering his filmscape with nature's beauty, capturing a hawk in flight (think it's a hawk), or the moon and the mountains in the background as Govend approaches the camera's eye.