There are many anti-war movies. Although they belong to the same genre, the special feature of [Flying Turtle] lies in her story background and her perspective. In fact, I think [Flying Turtle] her real reflection in the end is not everything the war has brought to people. She has gone beyond this theme and showed extraordinary humanistic care. The ideas and techniques of the film are reminiscent of Takahata's cartoon "Grave of the Fireflies". Although the war will eventually pass, the trauma left on the soul is an unavoidable pain.
The story begins a few weeks before the U.S. attack on Iraq and revolves around a group of children living on the border. Children living in war are strong and vulnerable. "The unbearable lightness of life" is presented in them. They live by digging landmines and selling them for money, and many children lose their legs, hands, and even their lives. Maybe they are not so reflective about the concept of war, because they are born to face a world full of guns and cannons. Thinking of [Grave of Fireflies], when Qingta saw the bombing of the plane, she was so happy, "Blow it up, blow it up", which made people sigh deeply.
These characters cannot be forgotten. "Satellite" - He has absolute authority in children, and he shows no weakness even when dealing with adults. Wearing a pair of large glasses and an inverted duck hat, riding a bicycle full of gadgets and occasionally spitting out a few English words. "Han Goff" - a mysterious figure, a person who can predict, he will never forget the scene where he used his only remaining "hands" and teeth to remove landmines. "Yagelin" - I can't forget for a long time that she tied [Riga] to a tree and looked back to wipe her tears after she left. She is pitiful, unbearable, and hard to let go. And the child who was talking and crying while demonstrating, is so kind and cute.
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