A Time for Drunken Horses

Review by Genaro Aguilera-Reza

The Short:

A Time for Drunken Horses (2000), directed by Bahman Ghobadi is an Iranian film about three Kurdish siblings and the love they have for each other. 

The Long:

A Time for Drunken Horses is the debut film from Bahman Ghobadi, deemed as one of the most important Kurdish filmmakers. This motion picture was the winner of the Camera d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 2000. The story focuses on the lives of three orphaned Kurdish children living near the Iran-Iraq border. Ayoub is the eldest child and has to take on the role of the provider of the family. He takes a job as a smuggler in order to help his younger brother Madi, who is handicapped and in need of surgery. The sister Ameneh also tries to help the situation by agreeing to marry off to a family in order to use the dowry money to help with Madi’s surgery.  The name of the film comes from a scene when the smugglers give a mix of water and alcohol to horses in order to endure the trip across the mountainous region that stretches the Iran-Iraq border. This film is a story of sacrifice, resilience and fraternal love.  

To watch or not to watch:

Must watch! This drama gives a glance at the way the Kurdish people live as minorities in several regions of the Middle East. Additionally, it allow us to have a look at the issue of child labor and exploitation that persists in the Global South. The movie has exceptional camera work that allows the viewers to observe the harsh winters of Kurdistan.