Parable of the Garden

I really liked Shahram Entekhabi's "Happy Meal." It recognizes cultural diffusion, the spread of characteristics from one cultural group to another, by which I mean the background of McDonalds in Germany. There are McDonalds all over the world, and many people can enjoy it, whether they are male or female, American or in this case, Iranian. At first we see a girl covered in chador, and only recognize her as a Muslim. However, we quickly see past that cultural identity and recognize just a girl eating her Happy Meal, and acknowledge its universality and how adorable she is. We can see the symbolic tension of her chador getting in the way of her eating and opening the toy, a reference literally and figuratively to the struggle of her Iranian culture clashing with Western culture. The video blends together the East and West as she finishes her food with a smile, providing hope for future conflicts.