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Woodpecker

Name: Woodpecker
Director: Behrooz Shoeibi
Released: 2018
Duration: 90 min

Representation Score

5.9/10

Fair

2018

Director

Behrooz Shoeibi

Runtime

90 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Woodpecker is a character-driven drama that emphasizes psychological realism over conventional social archetypes. By focusing on Mahsa, a woman dealing with the consequences of substance abuse, the film challenges the idealized role of the mother and the sanctity of the traditional family unit. The film excels in its refusal to adhere to a restorative morality, instead highlighting the tension between past and present domesticities. It uses the protagonist's personal instability to explore complex human frailty. While the film lacks LGBTQ+ representation and focuses on a traditional domestic framework, it provides a sophisticated critique of social expectations through its nuanced portrayal of addiction and maternal reclamation.

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Category Breakdown

Does Woodpecker have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

The film does not include any LGBTQ+ characters or stories. The main conflict revolves around a former marriage and a new relationship.

How does Woodpecker portray gender?

Fair

The story focuses on a female protagonist who plays a significant role in driving the plot through her struggles with addiction. It breaks away from the idealized image of a perfect woman by showing a flawed, non-traditional woman.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Woodpecker?

Fair

The film presents a localized, non-Western perspective that diverges from Anglo-centric storytelling norms. It offers a culturally specific viewpoint within its regional cinematic tradition.

How does Woodpecker represent religion and culture?

Good

The story examines the gray areas of addiction and systemic failures rather than presenting a clear moral hierarchy. It questions the strict social expectations placed on women within traditional institutions.

Does Woodpecker include disability representation?

Fair

Addiction is portrayed as a central, defining psychological condition rather than a simple moral failing. This approach gives the protagonist a significant role in driving the story through her lived experience of addiction.

Present on Screen

Challenges traditional maternal archetypes by portraying a flawed, struggling female protagonist.
Explores complex moral gray areas regarding addiction and systemic family failures.
Provides a non-Western narrative structure that deviates from Anglo-centric storytelling norms.

Limited or Absent

Lacks representation of LGBTQ+ identities or non-straight-centered narratives.
The narrative remains centered within a traditional domestic and familial framework.

Official Synopsis

The story of an addicted woman Mahsa who thinks that her girl is dead but when finds out that she is alive and lives by her father (Mahsa's ex-husband) decides to take her back. This put her to face her ex-husband and his new wife.

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