Movie review : Buddha Collapse Out of Shame

Buddha Collapse Out of Shame is an independent movie directed by Pashto Hana Makmalbhaf, the youngest of the Makmalbhaf clan of Iranian filmmakers. It focuses on the heartbreaking attempts of a six-year-old girl in Afghanistan to obtain education in the face of war.

Hana Makmalbhaf decided to cast citizens of Afghanistan themselves in this film and they portrayed their characters rather well.  The leading character, Bakhtay, is played by Nikbakht Noruz. In the movie, she dreams to take herself to school but her desire is not easily attained in the absence of her mother. She struggled to find money to buy a schoolbook and throughout all her obstacles, Abbas was there for her. Abbas is Bakhtay's best friend, played by Abbas Alijome. He values their friendship strongly and this is advocated by the sacrifices he made to save Bakhtay in her attempt to go to school. Both characters play on the audience's emotions throughout the film and every time you sympathize them more and more.

One of the main themes of the movie revolves around the war in Afghanistan. It has a slow pace to signify the pain and suffering of the children in times of war. Each incident also carries a certain meaning. This is particularly evident when pages of Bakhtay's notebook were torn at every obstacle she encounters to get to school. It speaks volume about the plight of woman in her country. One event that stood out the most in this film will be Bakhtay's ordeal with the boys in her village. They put a hood over her head, threaten to stone her, and dig her grave which symbolizes male dominance in Afghanistan. However, Bakhtay was able to turn one of the punishments into a game of hopscotch and used her mother's lipstick to entertain her peers in school. These incidents tell us about Bakhtay's positive character where she is still able to find life in things amidst all the dramas surrounding her.

There are no random and non-belonging film frames. The director has certainly put much thought into cinematography and lighting. It portrays the situation in Bahmia well enough to understand the lifestyle of the villagers and how they struggle to survive day by day. The beginning and the ending of the film also had a unique twist which would certainly keep the viewers guessing.

It was a waste that the movie had only one background music to stress on the actions played by the characters. It also lacked music soundtracks to help convey their many differing emotions - pain, suffering, frustration and bitterness. However, the message that Hana Makmalbhaf was trying to convey in her film is still relevant today. Children still suffer in times of war but gender discrimination has generally begin to fade in the current society.




Taking all of this into account, the movie can be categorized as blend and certainly requires some patience. It is however substantial enough for viewers who has an interest in non-fiction storylines. With that, I would like to add that the director, Hana Makmalbhaf, certainly deserves the highest recognition and attention from viewers and movie critics for her remarkable work at the age of 19.

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