Bekas (2012) Reviews

• A Funny ride through the saddest of stories

  doorsofperception2012-11-21

  I have watched Bekas during Stockholm festival and must admit it has certainly delivered something. Each of the kids' story, their surroundings, Iraq landscape under Saddam's regime along with the Kurds conflict can be a tempting subject for a heartfelt depressing drama. Bekas has managed to combine all and make us laugh. With all the empathy and the connection we made with the 2 kids, we still laughed. Perhaps how intact their innocence and spontaneity were portrayed was the secret behind such a good movie. Bekas is certainly not meant to be a comedy thou (in the classic sense); I think it is a real fantasy and an opportunity for a lot of us to reflect on what we had throughout our childhood.

• Excellent Movie

  evaris2013-03-19

  I wasn't expecting much out of this movie. Looking at the movie poster thought it's just a funny kiddie movie set in Iraq but I was wrong. It was one of the best regional movies I have ever watched. The director has done an amazing job with the direction and working with the kids. The small kid was just out of the world, he cud easily beat the best when it comes to acting. I wonder why such kids don't get an opportunity on the bigger stage. The movie is sad but very funny at the same time. I can't imagine there are still innocent kids living like that even now, matter of fact in even worser conditions. I personally wud like to forget the sadder part and keep the funny moments in my memory, not that am not concerned abt their plight. I wud like to recommend this movie to everyone. This is must watch movie.

• A Nutshell Review: Bekas

  DICK STEEL2013-02-18

  There's almost always something special about a director's first feature film, as the charm comes from its inherent rawness, and perhaps willingness to take greater risks to get something finished. And this lack of experience at the helm also meant an appeal that audiences would be more forgiving, and open their hearts out in giving the film a chance. The magnificence is, when it works, like Bekas, you're going to embrace it wholeheartedly and completely. Writer-director Karzan Kader draws deep from his own personal experiences of having to escape Kurdistan, Iraq as a young kid in the 90s, to come up with Bekas, a road trip tale of hope, following two orphaned boys Dana (Sarwar Fazil) and younger brother Zana (Zamand Taha), who have to fend for themselves at every corner and turn, growing up under harsh circumstances with little adult supervision. They have to rely on their street smarts, brotherly love and loyalty to each other to get themselves through day by day, earning their keep as shoe shiners for pittance, and homelessness meant sleeping out in the open at any random, but available rooftops. And you would be mistaken to think that Kader would take the easy route out and flood his film with plenty of melodrama, to tug at your heartstrings at the plight of the boys. Instead, he fills his narrative with plenty of anecdotes and shenanigans that the two boys get into, which often result in either one, or both, being at the wrong end of a slap, ear pull, or in terms of greater insult, the slipper. But this is a story about growing up, and growing a hide that's thick to ensure survival, that the boys will have you in stitches most times when they get to the central plot device - of getting out of their predicament, and relying on any of their own means possible to get to America, and meet their idol Superman, whom they hope to enlist in a fight against Saddam Hussein, and to resurrect their dead parents. Despite being non-actors, both boys Dana and Zana are set to charm your socks off with their banter, sibling rivalry, and inevitably, love. Kader knows when to push the right buttons in crafting scenes that will make you root for them to escape impossible situations, or to cheer them on as they encounter adversity after adversity in getting to their eventual destination, which is "just miles away" on a map that looks more like one from a discarded Risk board game. Anyone who thought Quvenzhane Wallis from Beasts of the Southern Wild, should take a look at these two boys, who are naturals despite their penchant to raise their voice most of the time. Whether or not it's Dana finding first love, or Zana being disappointed time and again by his older brother, these two boys put on a masterclass performance that makes your heart go out to them. Filmed on location, the cinematography is excellent, capturing scenes seldom seen by many unless you've travelled to the region. And there's no more to ask for when the visuals have aural accompaniment that accentuated mood to provide that extra dimension of feelings. Through a road trip, Kader manages to link scenes up perfectly, as the boys go from episode to episode atop their donkey, and every other conceivable mode of transport from cars to trucks, to evade detection and capture as they pass through guarded borders. Whether or not they reach their destination, would be immaterial by the time the story ends, painting a bigger picture of hope and love, narrative themes which are far more powerful than the fictional deity they seek to locate in a foreign land, whom they probably found in each other. Bekas is one fine film set in the Middle East, such as Son of Babylon, that will endear. A definite recommendation!

• Sweet, funny and with some sadness and tension too – not a masterpiece but it sure lives up to the unique premise

  RainDogJr2013-05-05

  The word "bekas" means orphans (or something quite similar). The film BEKAS (Karzan Kader, 2012) is set in the Iraq of Saddam Hussein. A couple of orphan kids living in that place during that particular period is, without a doubt, synonymous of a difficult story, that will probably worry the viewer. The orphans, two little brothers, do have a complicated life, they need to work, but they're too normal kids, innocents, ready to be blown away by the magic of cinema. BEKAS is in general a very sweet movie about childhood, in which the protagonists provoke empathy and charm, some great laughs and constant criticism to the Hussein regime as well. The film begins with a little homage to cinema, 'cause in Iraq they love it too and when SUPERMAN arrives everything is worthy to can watch the images projected. It begins an exploration to the impact that a movie can have in a kid, and at the same the same a reflection of the influence the United States have on Iraq and the rest of the world – SUPERMAN changes the life of the brothers, who now want to travel to the United States to meet that superhero in person (that's the premise that's just too attractive to miss). The boys, is worth adding, don't really know how to localize America in the map… and neither Iraq! They're innocent but for us is sort-of difficult not to think I that issue that deals with cultural imperialism. Superman is famous in Iraq, as well as Coca-Cola and the king of pop Michael Jackson. However, and before you think of the film as criticism to the US, this is part of the comic side, truly hilarious stuff for moments, that more than anything just wants to celebrate kids and create meaningful situations. It's similar to what we got with EVERYTHING IS ILLUMINATED (Live Schreiber, 2005), with Ukrainian characters that are fans of American culture – the young man who loves hip-hop, Jackson and dresses himself like an African American, and the grandpa who decided to name his dog Sammy Davis Jr. Jr. in honor of the singer. It's very curious that in BEKAS the youngest brother decides to name Michael Jackson their (pet/transport) donkey! This kid seems to overact at first, but later it's clear that all is part of his (loud-mouthed) personality, and turns out very funny. The dark side of the film has a constant: physical child abuse. To paraphrase a Hans Landa dialog, it's a hostile world for the orphans; and the director Karzan Kader achieves the transmission of that injustice feeling with some scenes that show adults mistreating the boys. The story goes for some common issues as well, typical dramatic stuff, and that's kind of annoying; the close relationship of the brothers, and their mission to get to the US, is threatened at one point thanks to a young girl (the oldest boy is in love with her). Still Kader manages to save the picture, and even has some time to give it a great dose of pure tension – the Iraq with military, people who want to get out of there illegally and explosive mines is present for the last minutes. BEKAS, being light-hearted, make us believe that the impossible will happen but at the same time it says that the best thing that could happen to a couple of orphans from Iraq is, simply, to remain together. *Watched it on 01 May, 2013

• A glimpse into the extraordinary lives of Kurdish children in the 90's!

  HarmanYonis2015-02-20

  Bekas is the tale of two orphans, Zana and Dana in Iraqi Kurdistan. It is set in a period of time where the Kurdish people were living under rather humbling conditions and were still oppressed by the dictator Saddam Hussein. This is beautifully portrayed in the movie trough the eyes of Zana and Dana. Besides being authentic in its portraying, the movie also accomplishes to be very witty and funny at the same time and makes you fall in love with the two interesting and different characters that Zana and Dana are. This movie is by far one of my favorites and a must see for everyone, okay I am saying this 'partly' because I myself am Kurdish, but it really is a good drama, funny at times and more importantly very authentic. I definitely recommend this movie.