The short film “The Tree” was selected for the Takorama 2023 festival organized by the Films pour enfants association.
1-The authors of the film are Iranian. What historical period could the film refer to?
The film refers to the Iraqi invasion of Iran in 1980.
The Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) resulted from border tensions between the two countries, but also from fears of Saddam Hussein's Iraqi government about the repercussions of the Iranian Islamic revolution which brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power in 1979.
Indeed, Saddam Hussein feared that this revolution would awaken the revolutionary aspirations of the long-oppressed Shiite majority in Iraq. Additionally, Iraq sought to take leadership in the Persian Gulf by replacing Iran as the dominant power in the region.
The authors specify that the film was inspired by Iraqi warplanes attacking Kurdish villages in Iran.
2-What does the title of the film Derakht mean?
old trees in Iran means tree in fārsī (Persian), the official and majority language of Iran.
There are very old trees in Iran, including cypresses that are over 4000 years old.
3-What do the white fabrics hanging on the tree represent?
In the traditional culture of Iran, certain trees were considered sacred and people made wishes by tying a cloth to the branches of these trees.
4-What happens at second 40 of the film?
A bomb explodes, a woman is injured.
This is a bomb because we see smoke in the background.
We understand that the first 40 seconds of the film are the injured woman's childhood memories.
5-What happens next?
In the form of a flashback, we discover the meeting between the woman and her future husband and then their marriage.
6-What is the red fruit at 1 min 45 s of the film?
This is a grenade. In Persian culture, due to its ability to germinate in arid soil and produce fruits with abundant and rich juice, this fruit is a symbol of health and youth, but also of fertility and femininity.
In Persian tradition, pomegranates are thrown on the bride's skirt to bring her luck and ensure her a fruitful life.
7-What happens next?
The husband goes to war, autumn and winter arrive.
The war draws near, the woman is injured, the tree destroyed; we return to the woman's wound from the beginning of the film.
The image of the injured woman at 3 minutes and 28 seconds of the film is the same as that at 50 seconds.
8-What do you think is the theme of the film?
“The author of the film summarizes his film as follows: A woman and a tree, both rooted in the earth. »
The theme of the film is war but also the attachment we have to our land, the place where we are born and where we live.
Humans, like trees, are rooted in their land, they cannot leave their land, even in times of war.
Extensions and references
1- History
- The Iran-Iraq War
The Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988) left a million dead (including 500,000 civilians) and led to a profound geopolitical restructuring of the Near and Middle East.
What are the causes and consequences of this war?
2- Question the world
- The oldest trees in the world
The film features a very old tree, probably a cypress in reference to the 4,500 year old Abarqu cypress in Iran.
Do you know of any other old living trees?
The olive tree of Roquebrune-Cap-Martin in France (2,000 years old), the Jomon Sugi of Yakushima in Japan, the Llangernyw yew in Wales, the General Sherman sequoia in California…
- Traditional festivals
Every country, every culture has its traditional festivals or events.
Share your culture by describing a traditional holiday you spend with your family.
Educational activities offered by Bruno Pellier, Christophe and Olivier Defaye.
