Credit: www.impawards.com
Director:
Philip Haas
Cast:
Connie Nielsen……….Anna Molyneux
Damian Lewis……….Dan Murphy
Mido Hamada……….Zaid
Driss Roukhe……….Walid
Nasser Memarzia……….Rafeeq
Saïd Amadis……….Mayor Tahsin
Chérine Amar……….Noor
Omar Berdouni……….Bashar
Shaun Evans……….Wesley
The Situation, a fictional story written by Wendell Steavenson, a female journalist who experienced the current environment in Iraq first hand, provides heartfelt moments that feel unscripted. Despite being draped in the best of intentions, no one in this grim look at the war and subsequent attempts to rebuild a government seem to have any idea what they’re doing.
This intense film illustrates a hopelessness and eerie aura of acceptance among the Iraqi people. Quotes like, “If only this generation can manage to survive” roll easily off the tongues, and the hysterical widows of casualties are offered $10,000 in compensation for a life. The utter lack of leadership and overwhelming desperation are caught through the voyeuristic eyes of outsiders.
Connie Nielsen’s journalist, Anna Molyneux, has learned to deal with this mess. She forges a friendship with Rafeeq (Nasser Memarzia), an influential community leader, but becomes painfully aware of the danger for locals becoming associated with “the Americans”. When no one knows who to trust, bonds of family and lifelong relationships become increasingly important. Anna starts to observe the deception permeating the burgeoning political structure, where power seems to fall into the hands of anyone holding a gun or capable of telling a good lie.
The political drama is wrapped around a love triangle between Anna, her boyfriend Dan Murphy (Damian Lewis), and the captivating Mido Hamada as photojournalist Zaid. Hamada’s charm gives Anna a bit of hope when her entire world seems to be exploding in land mines. Her straining relationship with Murphy’s altruistic government official seems to exist purely for an inside look at the bumbling agencies who are attempting to control the situation- while living in the lap of luxury built by the former regime.
One of the most effective techniques director Philip Haas uses to show the prevalence of miscommunication is through subtitles. By quoting a translator literally during conversations, he allows audiences to see the drastic effects of subtle differences in language. By giving the audience a look at all sides involved, ideas that seemed black-and-white become increasingly gray, and allow for a deeper understanding of motivations influencing each player in this war game.
The Situation gives us a refreshingly un-glamourized look at a very real problem. This examination of the desperation and complexity of a war-torn city serves as an excellent talking point without coming off as overly preachy.
