My Sweet Pepper Land (2013)

Baran, a Kurdish independence war hero, is now sheriff in Erbil, the capital city. No longer feeling useful in this society now at peace, he thinks about quitting the police force, but ... See full summary »

Director:

Hiner Saleem

Writers:

Hiner Saleem (scenario & dialogue), Antoine Lacomblez (collaboration)

Stars:

Korkmaz Arslan, Golshifteh Farahani, Suat Usta

5 wins & 5 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Korkmaz Arslan	...	Baran
Golshifteh Farahani	...	Govend
Suat Usta	...	Reber
Mir Murad Bedirxan	...	Tajdin
Feyyaz Duman	...	Jaffar Mohammed Emin
Tarik Akreyî	...	Aziz Aga
Véronique Wüthrich	...	Nîroj
Mizgin Gemo	...	Zirek
Kamiran Betasi	...	The Judge
Adil Abdolrahman	...	The Commisionner (as Adil Abdulrahman)
Bahman Haci	...	Sadu (as Bahman Haji)
Nezar Selami	...	The Commisionner (as Nizar Salami)
Sivan Salim	...	Govend's Father (as Shivan Salim)
Yilmaz Özdil	...	The Hanged Man (as Yilmaz Ozdil)
Hiner Saleem	...	The Photographer

Storyline

Baran, a Kurdish independence war hero, is now sheriff in Erbil, the capital city. No longer feeling useful in this society now at peace, he thinks about quitting the police force, but instead agrees to be stationed in a small valley, at the very borders of Iran, Turkey, and Iraq. It is a lawless territory, right at the heart of illegal drug, medication and alcohol trafficking. Having arrived in the small village, he refuses to bow down to Aga Azzi, the seriously corrupt tribal chief and absolute ruler of the area. Baran meets Govend, the village school teacher, who is also rejected by the villagers. Like Baran, she represents another law, that of the young and autonomous Kurdish state. Govend is all the more vulnerable as she is not a married woman.

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Plot Keywords:

tribal chief | school teacher | school | teacher | police | 

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Taglines:

A Kurdish western!

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Genres:

Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Award : Prix de la Jeunesse au Festival du Film Romantique de Cabourg 2013.

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Goofs

[All goofs for this title are spoilers.]

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Quotes

Baran: You're too brave to accept this.
Govend: No one wanted this village. And the children here, they needed education. I like it here. I like the children.
Baran: No one forced you.
Govend: No. I always wanted to study till I was 26. And now, I feel too old for here.
Baran: How old are you?
Govend: 28. But I got one thing. If you're not married at this age, people think there's something wrong with you.

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Soundtracks

La chanson des blés d'or
Lyrics by Camille Soubise and L. Lemaître
Music by Frédéric Doria
(1882)

User Reviews

My Sweet Pepper Land: Actually what really appeals is Kurdistan!

A very nice film, with many good qualities.

First of all the cast: the pretty (and talented) Golshifteh Farahani and the less known but equally intriguing Korkmaz Arslan, together with several convincing actors in supporting roles. Interestingly, neither Farahani nor Aslan are Kurds (she is Iranian and he is Turkish…).

Then we have the undisputed talent of Mr Hiner Saleem (who really is Kurd), whose filmography already has gained him a well deserved fan base.

Finally, you'll see Kurdistan. The ugly, cold Kurdistan with its stony hills and gaunt landscapes. Poor, superstitious and dangerously undeveloped, with its violent attitude and undersized rides. And you won't be able to help but like it.

Details

Country:

Iraq France Germany

Language:

Kurdish Arabic Turkish

Release Date:

27 March 2014 (Germany)

Also Known As:

Aga

Filming Locations:

Kurdistan, Iraq

Box Office

Budget:

EUR2,600,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$324,440

Company Credits

Production Co:

Agat Films & Cie, Rohfilm, HS Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

100 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1