The innocence of childhood crashes into the reality of a filthy adult world in Hanging Gardens. The title refers not to an ancient wonder but to an enormous dump on the edge of Baghdad. This is where 12-year-old As’ad (a magnetic Hussain Muhammad Jalil) picks through the rubbish with his adult brother Taha (Wissam Diyaa), bundling it into bags for the local kingpin Al Haji (Jawad Al Shakarji), whose mere presence is enough to make the local coffee house fall silent.
For all that the dump could have been plucked from Dante, with smouldering fires and flies a constant presence even during mealtimes, there’s a camaraderie between the two brothers as they work. First-time feature director Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji lets both the humour and the horror of the situation emerge in tandem. While As’ad and Taha might laugh about a discarded dress, they also make a grimmer find that.
For all that the dump could have been plucked from Dante, with smouldering fires and flies a constant presence even during mealtimes, there’s a camaraderie between the two brothers as they work. First-time feature director Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji lets both the humour and the horror of the situation emerge in tandem. While As’ad and Taha might laugh about a discarded dress, they also make a grimmer find that.
- 5/25/2023
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
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