The Green Wave
Ali Samadi Ahadi:
The Green Wave (Germany, 2010)
80 min. - German, Persian, English - English subtitles
Age limit 12 years
The Green Wave is a brilliantly executed film about the horrors of tyrannical rule and the desperate pursuits of young, civilised Iranian people toward justice. Despite its topic The Green Wave is not a very political film. In all its shockingness it is a deeply humane depiction of events that are taking place in Iran right now.
Green is the colour of hope. And the colour of Islam. Furthermore, it was the colour presidential candidate Mir-Hossein Mousav’s supporters wore. The presidential election of 2009 in Iran was supposed to bring about a change but, against all expectations, the radical conservative and populist candidate Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was declared president. The announced results seemed clear, but even more clear were the justified accusations of manipulated votes.
The rigged election made young Iranians take the streets and demonstrate. As a result, the government suppressed the demonstrations brutally. Ali Samadi Ahad’s film The Green Wave is mainly comprised of camera phone footage shot by civilians. The footage clearly shows the brutality of the government – the protestors were beaten, stabbed, shot as well as arrested and kidnapped. The result was a countless number of dead, injured and tortured people, and another deep wound in the souls of the Iranians.
Despite the shocking material, The Green Wave is a visually impressive documentary. Ahadi combines the filmed footage with an animation that distantly resembles the film Persepolis and alienates the viewer from the oppressive reality. However, the beautifully constructed exterior does not erase the truth – these events have taken place, merely a few years ago.
The Green Wave is a touching portrayal of people in the heart of all of this. Ali Samadi Ahadin utilises first-hand blog entries and pictures posted in social media as a proof of hope, curiosity, despair and fear but at the same time of the courage to keep on fighting. His film is a significant depiction of a historically important moment and an impressive obituary to many who believed in a greater freedom and lost their lives in the Green Revolution.
Wed 14th Nov at 6:45pm Tapio 4