BEKAS (2012)

Genre: Drama
Director: Karzan Kader
Cast: Zamand Taha, Sarwar Fazil
Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Lighthouse Pictures & Cathay-Keris Films
Official Website:

Opening Day: 28 February 2013

Synopsis: Iraq in the early 1990 was a devastating land to survive in. When we think of Iraq, the first thing that tends to pop into our minds is the war and Saddam Hussein. But there is another side too, that even the Iraq’s government tries to forget about. It is perhaps the most notorious country in the world and it goes by the name Kurdistan.

Movie Review:

There is something about stories between two brothers that we adore. It helps if the tale is set in a foreign land unfamiliar to us city dwellers. Bonus points are awarded if the brothers are adorably cute and impossible to detest. Kurdish born director Karzan Kader knows these well enough to make a feature based on his award winning graduation film from Swedish film school Dramatiska Institutet. The 2010 work won the filmmaker a Student Academy Award, and to extend it into a full length movie (local director Royston Tan’s 15 comes to mind), there is really nothing that can go wrong. 

Set in Iraq Kurdistan, the protagonists of Kader’s screenplay are two homeless brothers who see Superman in the dilapidated town's first movie theatre, before they decide to look for him in the oh so great United States. A long dangerous road trip involving yakking donkeys, angry military men, thirst quenching cola drinks and ruthless human traffickers thus begins, bringing viewers on a 92 minute journey of that idealism which we have long left behind.

With the support of several Swedish bodies, this recommended film is a breeze to sit through. Production values are high, with Johan Holmqvist’s stunning cinematography, Michael Leszczylowski and Sebastian Ringler’s well paced editing and Juhana Lehtiniemi’s ethnic score. 

What’s more important though, is how you’ll feel and empathise with the two brothers. We are feeling that this is especially poignant for viewers in this part of the world where we have everything well taken care of, and how we have settled nicely into our comfort zones. Seeing the brothers’ trials and tribulations on screen will only have us urbanites reflecting on how life is like in that part of the world.

The film sets up several well executed dramatic moments which engage viewers into rooting for the characters. Watch out for the finale where the older brother gets into trouble with a landmine – you will be holding your breath just so that he can survive this. 

Having non actors take on the roles of the protagonists is also something Kader did right. Zamand Taha and Sarwar Fazil anchor the entire movie with their charismatic screen presence, and one how can one not fall in love with the puppy eyed brothers as they embark on a nearly impossible adventure to make their dreams come true? Set in the early 1990s in a country that only reminds most people of war, unrest and bloodshed, to have a hopeful story like this emerging does wonders to the human spirit. The two child actors manage to hold the story together, with the occasional conflicts and disagreements which only serve to remind viewers they are human as well.

Granted, the film concludes with several questions on how the two brothers managed to survive the treacherous ordeals, and how the human spirit can be so strong – just to see Superman in a country countless miles away. But it is exactly this spirit that we should admire, and it can be done by lowering our guards and leaving some cynicism at the door. 

Movie Rating:

(A likeable human drama that reminds us the importance of hope and optimism)

Review by John Li