Qarantina

Very glad that I saw this film on the Rotterdam filmfestival 2011, offering some insight in Iraq from a safe distance. We read a lot about it in the newspapers, but what life in Iraq really looks like for the local people there, is left to our imagination.

One important character is a hired killer who lives on the 1st floor, in the same house that all other main characters live in. He seems bound to no rules whatsoever. But after a few deviations from his assignments, he himself becomes a victim by the hands of people who cannot take his behavior anymore.

Most other main characters belong to a family on the ground floor, much larger in number than there is room to describe them here. A special mention is for the father, who is the center of much problems. He is obviously unable to deal with his environment. For instance, when one of his daughters obstinately won't talk to anyone, rather than trying to learn what is wrong, he does not rest until she wears her head scarf. After that he leaves the "treatment" to an aunt, who can only think of an evil spirit housing inside, which diagnose he (the father) echoes later as his own opinion.

There is a younger son, earning some money with shining shoes, His math book is stolen by the hired killer. Later he finds it torn and burnt, apparently for no reason other than its contents may be politically (religiously) incorrect. Or it may be that the hired killer wanted to do something obnoxious, only while he could. This is one of less than a handful instances where the ground and first floor cross each others paths.

All these people live in the same house together, and contribute their part to a colorful picture of human relations and life of the people in Iraq. I very much doubt that we know all about it after today, but at least the general idea is coming across. Of course, it may be a personal, selective view of the film makers. We have no counter intelligence to verify any of it. On the other hand, I see no reason to suspect a hidden agenda from the makers.

An unusual large part of the audience stayed to attend the final Q&A. We heard about an aspect that was not apparent from the film, namely that the sound had to be re-done later, due to a continuous background noise from gunshots, explosions, etcetera.

Also, a question was asked about the purpose of the tank, which offered us a street view from the inside out, appearing a few times at moments not related to the story. We were told that its intention was to show foreign soldiers having a limited, isolated view on their environment. They live in some sort of quarantine (hence the title of this film). They lack real contact with the inhabitants, having no idea how the local people live and cope with the situation at hand.

The reverse is also very true, and same observation applies to people in Iraq. Even worse, the latter can be thought subdivided in distinct groups, each with their own rules and beliefs, of which the hired killer is a perfect example.