What starts off like it is going to be a short film about two sisters and their mother soon turns dark. that is because their story is set against the always harrowing backdrop of war. War permeates every facet of the lives of those involved. On both sides. Life is never the same. You can never escape its grasp nor predict how it will affect you.
Cengiz Akaygun’s film has qualified to be considered for an Oscar nomination and it totally merits that recognition as it is a film that will have an effect on whoever watches it. We are introduced to a young girl named Aysha, who is wearing a full-body veil. She and her family live in war-torn Syria. Aysha and her sister are playing n the family’s backyard. What should be a fun time for the two sisters turns into something else for them and their mother, who intervenes, as Aysha is struggling with her circumstance. A circumstance brought on because of the war. Something her mother insists on due to the danger if not followed. Aysha draws her line in the sand and playtime is abruptly over. The innocence of childhood is stolen.
Everything here – story, cinematography, acting, and music – works together to tell the story and pull at your heartstrings. It is impossible not to have your heartbreak. It is not fair what this young person is going through. And not only Aysha but her family as well. You can see the damage (unexpected) inflicted by war. Another strong argument that we must avoid war at all costs.
A story is presented to us that we don’t often get to see or even think about. Faith and conflict within a family during the time of war are investigated in an honest and without filter way. Also how the way we dress is an expression of our gender or more precisely, how we see ourselves and how we want others to see us.