Following the retaking of Afghanistan by the Taliban, in another tragic chapter in the country’s history, Roya Sadat and her husband and frequent collaborator Aziz Deildar, found themselves escaping the country, leaving almost everything behind, and eventually finding solace in the US. As such, it was quite a pleasure to learn that they managed to shoot another movie, with “Sima’s Song” premiering in Tokyo International Film Festival.
Sima’s Song is screening at Tokyo International Film Festival
The story is set in Afghanistan in 1978, during the transition to socialism, when the Russian influence in the country was quite intense, but also something else was starting to move within the government circles. Two girls, rich idealist and communist Suraya and poor Muslim Soraya manage to retain a loving friendship in the midst of the following invasion by the Soviet Union and the rise of an anti-Soviet armed group. While the former insists on women’s freedom, something she actually exercises with the help of a Minister of Culture who is also a woman, the latter just wants to get married to the man she loves, despite the fact that she realizes the dangers such an endeavor includes. Both of them, however, soon find the ground falling under their feet, as the ‘revolution’ takes place.
In an effort to depict the sociopolitical landscape of late 1970s Afghanistan, particularly the role of women in society, Roya Sadat also reveals a deeper narrative: the relentless cycle of history that has plagued the nation and its people, repeating with a painful permanence that feels unending. At the same time, and through the antithesis of the two protagonists, she also underscores how concepts like religion, communism, idealism, and even patriotism are often misused, transforming into rhetoric of hate—a critique that resonates beyond Afghanistan and feels universally relevant. That the fate the two share in the end, particularly regarding their freedom, is rather similar, stresses this comment even more, in one of the best aspects of the whole film.
Check the interview with the director
It is also worth noting that the relationship of the two young women, and the fact that their love continues despite their differences, sends a message of unity, while stressing the aforementioned comment about human mishandling even more. The scene where the two disagree intensely, without fighting though, is indicative of this approach, and also one of the most memorable scenes of the movie.
This aspect benefits the most by the acting. Mozhdah Jamalzadah as Suraya highlights her resolve but also her youthful naivety impressively, with the moments she realizes what exactly is happening being the apogee of her performance, along the aforementioned scene. Niloufar Koukhani as Sima is equally good in presenting her low key disillusionment, while the chemistry of the two is definitely among the movie’s traits. Aziz Aldar and Leena Alam have smaller roles in the film, but their presence and performance definitely highlights the quality of the acting and casting here.
Sadat also managed to include some minor action scenes, which do show how the resistance worked in the caves and the deserts, in a part, though, that would definitely benefit from a bigger duration. Ton Peters’s cinematography manages to be both realistic and present images that look like paintings, with the various gatherings in Sima’s house in particular being indicative. Ariadna Ribas’s editing results in a relatively fast tempo that suits the aesthetics of the movie, while the flashbacks are well placed within the story and the transition that occurs a bit after the middle of the film, well handled.
“Sima’s Song” is an excellent film that manages to highlight the issues Afghanistan faces and have been facing in the most eloquent fashion, while presenting a story that remains entertaining from beginning to end.
