Yasmina
Khadra ran for the presidency of his native Algeria (not so impressively), but
his most celebrated novel (written in French) tells of life in Afghanistan under
the Taliban. The truth isn’t pretty, but the animated film adaptation is
strikingly beautiful. Islamist extremism deepens and compounds a freak tragedy
in Zabou Breitman & Elea Gobbe-Mevellec’s The Swallows of Kabul which
screens during the Alliance Française’s 2020 Animation First Festival, in New
York.
Mohsen
and Zunaira Ramat were a modern educated couple. Now she must wear a burqa and
must be accompanied by her husband whenever she leaves the house. Despite his
reasonableness, Mohsen gets caught up in the mania of the moment and joins the fatal
stoning of a convicted prostitute (whether she truly was one is anyone’s guess).
Zunaira does not take his confession well. Rather fatefully, it causes an argument
that leads to a horrible accident that Zunaira will be harshly punished for.
She
will be the latest captive in the prison Atiq Shaukat oversees. In fact, she is
the only prisoner, because the others have already been put to death. If
Shaukat was ever troubled by the torture and executions, he is numb to it all
now—at least until he spies Zunaira. Of course, he was not supposed to. This is
not a Sybil Danning women-in-prison movie. Only female trustees should ever see
a women prisoner without her hazmat suit. Sadly, she just doesn’t care anymore,
but the pathos of her situation just might stir some feelings in Shaukat.
Ironically, his terminally ill wife Mussarat is happy instead of jealous at the
prospect of Shaukat’s emotional re-awakening, because it alleviates some of the
guilt she feels for the way his life ended up. Nevertheless, Ramat is due to be
executed as part of a Taliban public extravaganza, so Shaukat’s questions only
bring anger and suspicion upon himself.
Thematically,
Swallows is quite similar to Nora Twomey’s The Breadwinner, but its
lush, watercolor-like animation is even more elegant, whereas the GKIDS release
is probably somewhat more emotionally involving. Swallows still packs quite
a punch. The adaptation credited to Breitman, Patricia Mortagne, and Sebastien
Tavel maybe slightly softens Khadra’s ending, but the tragic inevitability of
it all will definitely haunt viewers.
Perhaps
most importantly, the film version maintains all the complexity of Shaukat’s
character, as well as the unflinchingly honest depiction of the Taliban’s
brutality and contempt for civilized culture. Of course, music is strictly forbidden,
but Shaukat, the former mujahedeen, is rebuked more than once for have his
shirt-sleeves rolled up to the elbow. How scandalous.
Swallows
is
another great example of ambitious animated films that arguably do a better job
of addressing serious events and issues than most live action films. It is
definitely in a league with modern masterworks like Funan, The Breadwinner,
and Chico & Rita. Very highly recommended, The Swallows of Kabul screens
this Saturday (2/8), as part of Animation First.
