Harud

Slow paced, deliberate, but not dull, this is a moving and sad look at life in Kashmir, specifically through the eyes of one young man, searching for meaning, and going through much of life in a half-trance. Living in a country beset by violence , he has already had a brother go among the many 'disappeared' (presumably killed by the government) , and whose parents live in complete denial, leading his father towards a nervous breakdown.

Films like this are not only effective as storytelling, but also in opening up issues and problems in parts of the world that those of us, comfortable here in the U.S., may have heard little about. The film took me to a place about which I'd only glanced at headlines before.

The acting is generally quite strong, and much of the photography quite beautiful. There are some scenes that are a bit heavy handed (e.g. the ghost images of Rafiq's brother seems like an over-used technique), and there are some specifics that are hard to follow if you're not more familiar with local politics and history than I. (Although I appreciate film-maker Bashir not pouring on the exposition, and keeping the film one of muted, poetic tone). Not an easy or perfect film, but a valuable and heartfelt one.

A slow, very slow film, but I like it very much because it focuses on culture, food, photography, simple and efficiently beautiful, the plot is slow, very slow too, but it manages to deliver all the anguish of military conflicts and the pain of having a missing member , the mother who refuses to wear mourning for a child without a grave, the broken father, and the brother between conflict and adolescence, beautiful film, sad and slow...

Within a country where rebellion and protests are actively suppressed by letting people disappear and by showing an overly visible police force, mobile phones are introduced. This event is the focus point for this movie. Though it may seem a non-event for us, these people regard it as a necessary tool to keep family and friends aware of their whereabouts when experiencing some delay on their way home. This is indeed felt as a revolutionary step forward, bringing an end to unnecessary worrying.

Gradually we are introduced to how the inhabitants of this country live, by concentrating on one family with its narrow circle of friends. Nothing much happens in their lives, where days are passing one by one. The pace of the developments in this film matches this slowness perfectly. How these people earn their bread, is not made very clear. Also, I did not get the impression that the younger people receive much education. Nevertheless, enough things happen to keep our attention for the full 99 minutes. In retrospect the latter is remarkable, as I cannot recall anything significant in the sense of some plot nor any dramatic development.

The women in this story become visible when participating in demonstrations while carrying pictures of their missing relatives. They very much remind me of the "Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo" in Argentina, similarly taking a stand for a hopeless cause. But what else can they do??

Maybe I'm a pessimist, but I'm wondering. How can a country ever develop itself economically, and ditto within the fields of arts and sciences, when so much people and effort is wasted on armed guards, fences, weapons, etcetera??

Notwithstanding the depressing feelings left behind while knowing that such countries still exist and won't go away within the foreseeable future, I am glad having seen this movie as part of the Rotterdam film festival 2011. It works as a strong reminder that our lives are relatively easy and sheltered, compared to countries like this where each day survived is a day gained.

Finally, the Q&A after the screening, clarified some points that escaped me at first. The most notable example is the central role that the introduction of the mobile phone had, and the feelings of relief that it induced with the people.

Before I got to the last ten minutes of this film I was enjoying it until that disgusting scene where a sheep is held down and has its throat slit. Disgusting and unnecessary. Avoid this film if you are an animal lover.