Questions when responding to Bahman Ghobadi's Turtles Can Fly and Martin and Yaquinto's "Framing Diaspora in Diasporic Cinema"

How do diasporic situations affect the characters' lives in Ghobadi's film Turtles Can Fly? Both Kandahar and Turtles Can Fly take place directly preceding U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq respectively. In what ways might your North American identity impact your viewing of these films? What formal and/or stylistic elements strike you as relevant in Turtles Can Fly? What message do you think Ghobadi might be attempting to impart by telling this particular story? Of course, feel free to write your honest thoughts about the film(s) here, as well. I just wanted to 'frame' the conversation somewhat... (And begin reading The Reluctant Fundamentalist if you can. It will hook you!)