How would you like to watch a documentary? With subtitles. In a war zone. Sounds uplifting, right? Yet somehow, the filmmakers--some 150 Iraqis that producer Eric Manes gave cameras to film their families, friends, and neighbors--make it work.
The documentary takes place throughout Iraq, with footage from the Marsh Arab South to the Kurdish North to Baghdad itself, from early 2004 leading up to the Iraqi elections in January 2005. The camera operators ask other Iraqis questions about their painful memories of Sadam; their frustrations with ongoing violence; and their attitudes toward democracy, women, and Iraq's future.
Even during the height of the violence, the film reveals the optimism of the Iraqi people: their belief that eventually normalcy will return, that Baghdad would surpass the appeal of Amman and Sharm El Sheikh, and that there are enough talented Iraqis to catapult their country forward.
The documentary is optimistic and slightly pro-American without ignoring the negative aspects of the invasion. In one memorable scene, an Iraqi elder complains about the ruinous lack of security and stability that followed the invasion. And this, he says, is coming from an avowed opponent of Sadam Hussein. Then the old gentleman drops trou to show two bullet wounds where Baathists shot had shot him just above his buttocks! If you want to see an informative portrayal of life and conversations among Iraqis themselves, without being force-fed talking points from America's anti-war left, this film is for you.
The documentary takes place throughout Iraq, with footage from the Marsh Arab South to the Kurdish North to Baghdad itself, from early 2004 leading up to the Iraqi elections in January 2005. The camera operators ask other Iraqis questions about their painful memories of Sadam; their frustrations with ongoing violence; and their attitudes toward democracy, women, and Iraq's future.
Even during the height of the violence, the film reveals the optimism of the Iraqi people: their belief that eventually normalcy will return, that Baghdad would surpass the appeal of Amman and Sharm El Sheikh, and that there are enough talented Iraqis to catapult their country forward.
The documentary is optimistic and slightly pro-American without ignoring the negative aspects of the invasion. In one memorable scene, an Iraqi elder complains about the ruinous lack of security and stability that followed the invasion. And this, he says, is coming from an avowed opponent of Sadam Hussein. Then the old gentleman drops trou to show two bullet wounds where Baathists shot had shot him just above his buttocks! If you want to see an informative portrayal of life and conversations among Iraqis themselves, without being force-fed talking points from America's anti-war left, this film is for you.