Turtles can fly, an Iranian film by Bahman Ghobadi, provides a realistic portrayal of how conflict disrupts lives and can have far-reaching effects. The setting of the movie is during the Iraq War and centers around the lives of Kurdish refugee children residing in a camp on the Turkish-Iraqi border. Children suffer immensely when war ensues, especially in terms of access to education and the opportunity to escape the cycle of violence and poverty. It is a raw depiction of the impact of absence of formal schooling on children, the trauma they face as a result of the war and the search for finding normalcy and stability.
In the camp setting, schools and classrooms have been replaced, representing a more desolate environment and the area is ridden with land mines. The destruction of physical infrastructure reflects a deeper issue which is the fall of institutions and structures that facilitate education and learning. Amidst war, education usually emerges as an afterthought, which means that generations of children are stuck in the aftermath of the conflict. Displacement is another element, in the film, the children are forced to leave their homes and with no access to education, they are stuck in the in-between, where they continue to reside in camps as their living condition does not improve and education continues to be neglected. The refugee camps that are meant to be temporary spaces for residence while the displaced individuals are reintegrated into society, have to act beyond their capacity as people remain in those camps for years with no place else to go.
The theme of psychological trauma and negative experiences are particularly explored here. The characters in the film all carry emotional scars that act as obstacles in their learning. Agrin, who is just a young child, has experienced the worst of war and how war treats women. She is a victim of sexual violence and is unable to engage in any form of education or even strive for a better environment, she has resigned to her fate. This brings into discussion the mental cost or psychological impact of conflict that is often not accounted for when it comes to rehabilitation or conflict resolution measures. She also has a young child, whom she grows to dislike as he reminds her of her traumatic past. This intensifies the cycle of educational inaccessibility and its widespread consequences.
You see children such as Soran, who is also known as ‘Satellite’ who becomes an unofficial source of education as he comes up with innovative ways to install satellite dishes that provide access to outside news and calm the uncertainty of war. This also highlights the ways displaced people and those impacted by war rely on informal ways to learn and stay connected in the absence of formal schooling. In such instances, education has to go beyond just the textbook curriculum and teach practical skills as survival is also something children have to actively look out for. Hengov, another character, who is Agrin’s brother, loses his arms when Ba’ath soldiers try to drown him and his sister. There is a scene in the film where Hengov defuses a mine using his mouth. This again is reflective of the dangerous environment children have to navigate and learn to fight for survival.
Social networks also play an essential role in education in the camp. The children turn to
each other for help, and informal systems of learning and collaboration begin. This sense of community provides a substitute for more conventional educational structures, in that it becomes a place where knowledge and skills are exchanged.
Overall, it is a harrowing and gut-wrenching portrayal of children in conflict zones and the effects that last beyond the marked end of the conflict. The focus is not simply on limited access to education but also the disintegration of learning channels and the mental and emotional barriers that children have to overcome with no available mental health and psychosocial support systems in place. By prioritising education in such conflict ridden areas, with inclusion of trauma-informed and inclusive teaching, you are giving these children a chance to rebuild their lives and hope and cope in an environment that otherwise neglects their rights and needs.
This is a really powerful and eye-opening review. The way Turtles Can Fly portrays the devastating impact of war on children, especially in terms of education, is hard to ignore. It highlights how, in the absence of formal schooling, kids rely on each other and informal systems just to survive. The psychological trauma they carry is so often overlooked, and this blog does a great job of showing how that affects their ability to rebuild their lives. I agree that the importance of education in conflict zones can’t be overstated, especially if it’s trauma-informed and accessible. What do you think could be done to better support these children in such dire circumstances?
As someone who has seen the film, I agree that Turtles Can Fly provides a raw and powerful portrayal of the devastation war inflicts on children, particularly when it comes to their access to education. As the film shows, the absence of formal schooling in conflict zones is not only a practical issue but also a psychological one. The characters, especially Agrin, demonstrate how trauma and emotional scars inhibit their ability to engage in any form of learning or hope for a better future. This sheds light on the importance of integrating mental health support into education programs in refugee camps, where children often face a double burden: the destruction of their physical environment and the emotional aftermath of violence.
Yet,…
This analysis captures the haunting realities of war’s impact on children with poignant clarity. You bring to light the deeply layered and intersectional issues faced by children in conflict zones, moving beyond the surface-level discussion of education to explore its emotional, social, and psychological dimensions. The way you weave the film's narrative with broader structural issues—displacement, trauma, and the collapse of institutional support—is powerful and reflective.
I actually ended up watching a few videos about this after I read the blog!
Your focus on Agrin’s character is particularly striking. Her story is a harrowing embodiment of the ways in which war disproportionately harms women and girls, denying them agency and exacerbating cycles of neglect and trauma. By highlighting her inability to…
Your blog captures the stark reality of how conflict disrupts not just lives but the very foundations of growth, learning, and healing. 'Turtles Can Fly' sounds like an incredibly moving portrayal of the struggles faced by children in war-torn regions, especially Kurdish refugee children living in limbo. The way the film highlights the absence of formal education and the resilience of children like Soran who find ways to create informal learning systems is deeply poignant. His efforts to install satellite dishes, both as a survival skill and a means to bring some sense of normalcy, reflect how education in such settings has to adapt beyond textbooks to meet immediate and practical needs.
The broader theme of neglected rights in refugee camps…
I have never read any such thing before. Thank you so much for this insight. Your analysis of Turtles Can Fly captures the profound and harrowing realities faced by children in conflict zones. I especially love the example of Agrin’s struggles highlighting the intersection of gendered violence and its far-reaching consequences on education and well-being. However, I do have one question: Do you think trauma-informed teaching, as you suggest, could be effectively implemented in refugee camps where resources are already so limited? What role might technology or partnerships with mental health organizations play in filling this gap?