Turtles Can Fly--Melissa Hurley

The diaspora in the film, Turtles Can Fly, has uprooted these poor children and dumped them in a place so foreign to them it is impossible to believe it is the same country that they grew up in. This film really showed how war damages a country; economically, environmentally and personally. It was especially heart wrenching to watch it from the point of view of children who are just trying to survive. I assume, due to the obvious lack of parental or adult supervision, that these children were left to totally fend for themselves. This speaks a lot towards the tenacity that these children had at such a young age. They understand basic survival skills, the importance of sticking together (as Agrin’s brother clearly believed in), following a leader (Satellite) and were willing to work to survive. Yet Agrin was just not able to overcome her awful situation, and frequently acted in an immature and selfish way when she would try and get rid of her child, the adorable little blind boy. How can we blame her, though? Is she really supposed to love the child of whom is a product of the sickening realities of her past? She is only a child herself and probably does not fully understand her plight. As Americans watching Turtles Can Fly, we need to be reminded that all though fictionalized, this situation is not totally impossible. It is so easy to categorize “good” countries from “bad” countries, but we need to remember that every country has innocent children who are directly affected by our actions and the consequences of war. This film really stuck with me all day after we watched it, even though I felt a little numb from the shock of the heaviness of it.