“My Sweet Pepper Land” screened as a part of the Chicago International Film Festival where it won the Golden Hugo for Best Film. This early review is merely an impression of the version screened.
Most of the Middle Eastern films to make their way overseas are inherently tied to their heritage and their cultural landscape. But that doesn’t mean some of their films ignore American influence. “My Sweet Pepper Land” may be about a border dispute town in a country trying to rebuild, but it’s a Western at heart, complete with a sheriff, bad guys, a standoff and shootout. It’s a surprising combination and an unexpectedly good film.
Hiner Saleem’s film is set in Kurdistan shortly after the fall of Saddam Hussein. It opens in an awkwardly grim and darkly comedic opening in which this newly democratic country is conducting their first hanging. It’s an embarrassing display in which the man is left standing on a leftover ballot box from their election, the rope stretches to where he can tiptoe before breaking altogether, and an employee is brought in to tug in an attempt strangle him faster.
The scene has little to do with the main plot, but it sets the stage for how “My Sweet Pepper Land” plays; it’s a lightly politically charged film with rough edges and a bit of deadpan comedy. It’s a combination that doesn’t always work, at the expense of deeper nuance for both the characters and the turbulent conflict.
The main story follows Baran (Korkmaz Arslan), a former freedom fighter now reduced to being the sheriff in a small town on the border between Kurdistan and Turkey. He soon wins the friendship of Govend (Golshifteh Farahani), who is somewhat hated in the town for being a female teacher. This earns Baran the wrath of a local crime lord set on keeping order in his region.
Most impressive are Saleem’s colorful, deep focus cinematography across the Kurdistan landscapes, all of it given life by a soothingly atmospheric score provided by Govend’s Bali Pan, a metal percussion instrument of many pitches played on the lap. That he punctuates these more tranquil moments with more haphazard comedy does “Pepper Land” little favors, as Saleem either doesn’t sustain them or makes them too slight for much impact.
Some of the villains lack any sinister edge and even earn a laugh at their appearance, but Baran and Govend make a modestly sweet couple, and we care about their outsider position in this small mountain town.
“My Sweet Pepper Land” may not have the gravitas of some of its Middle Eastern peers, but it’s an accessible and surprisingly Western style film that could be a good entry point for those looking to understand this part of the world.
3 stars