I am still digesting this movie. I wasn't sure of where it took place, (Baghdad, Cairo?) until I just checked the description: Aleppo, Syria. I admit I've been feeling out of it and with a swollen left ankle (from my first bug bite of the season no less) triggering hamstring spasms, a gashed right arm, possible chipped jaw, bum still hurting from horse injuries, and stressing about finals this movie made me stop thinking of my own relative misery to think about well ... how important is freedom and modernity? How important is tradition? How much does democracy and freedom really benefit people when under the yoke and unswayable powers of their families and social networks? It's not the Constitution that gurantees freedom, but is it our detachment and ability to protect ourselves from those we love the ultimate armor? Justice is retrospect and always late.
I know odd questions to ponder, but if you see this movie maybe you'll get a gist of what I mean.
2 comments:
Good questions to ponder:
Freedom and modernity are imporant, they ensure the continued progress of a civilization.
Tradition is only as important as the recognized significance within communal network you are apart of. Taken out of this context the only value is a personal one.
We really do live in two different worlds culturally, but I'd contend that neither is the utopial existance.
On one hand, you have a culturally diverse population, in it's infancy, still dealing with issues of race, low family values and morality. We value freedom and democracy in America more than family values, even though both can coexist.
One the other is a culturally-ingrained social network defined by localized communities of no more than 100-200 inhabitants, all defined by class, education and sex. Family values are high, where modernity and democracy haven't fully developed.
Nice points Omid. I definitley agree with you. I would also add the levels in which freedom, modernity, tradition, social networks operate. Perhaps I was initially thinking how broad-based progess and civilization is very much a macro-level phenomena, whereas for you and me, we see the extension of family ties at the micro-level, more likely to impact our daily life than the choice to speak freely in society via whatever means (haha like a blog). I'm reminded of this by the sad tale of Imane, who discovered a passion for music (say a more global/macro element) but who's life was cut short because of something closer to her.
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