Voices of Iraq (2004) User Reviews

Reality, or at least a sliver of it

[ChrisBagley · 7/10 · 27 June 2005]

I'm glad I saw this. It was heartening to see dozens Iraqis express such optimism and determination. I'd recommend the movie to pretty much anyone, along with "Control Room," "9/11" and pretty much any other documentary or reportage on America's roles in the post-9/11 world.

Just make sure you have some idea of who made the movie and why, and with whose money.

Given what we know about Armstrong Williams and Jeff Gannon, is it really so hard to believe that Bush administration or some arm of the US government was involved in shaping the message in "Voices of Iraq"? One IMDb user suggested this and got shouted down with something like "Michael Moore something something something U.N. Oil-For-Food Program something something something anti-Bush liberal media bias." Come on, guys, if you want to talk about bias and undisclosed motivations, you've got to do more than call names. The PR firm pushing the movie did the same thing for the "Army of One" commercials. That may not be damning evidence of a connection, but it does seem interesting enough to check out.

One of the producers, Archie Drury, is a Democrat and a former Marine, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. If you want to read into his motivations, I suppose you could go in either directions with him.

What I found suspicious was several Iraqis repeating the theory that democracy in Iraq would spread throughout the Middle East. That's not a harebrained pipe-dream, and it's possible that dozens or even millions of Iraqis believe it, but it's also strikingly similar to what the Bush administration is saying. It's similar enough at least to make me want to do a little more research.

And what's up with, like, 95% of the people in the film saying that America's so great? Jeez, man, the U.S. gets even better ratings in Iraq than it gets here at home. Sure, it's plausible. Iraqis are right to thank the U.S. military for freeing them from Saddam's regime. The important questions here, though, are whether they ARE actually thanking the U.S. for this, and whether or not they THINK they're better off. Obviously, at least 50 people out of 20 or 30 million say they're better off.

But a lot of them think that Saddam was great and the U.S. sucks. They may be wrong or even delusional, but you've at least got to put their comments in your "Voices of Iraq" film alongside the positive comments if you want to call it a real documentary. A survey conducted by Gallup in April 2004--the same time as the cameras were going around--found that the numbers of Iraqis who said the U.S. presence had improved their lives was about the same as those who said it hadn't. (Unless you're convinced that the Christian Science Monitor is a front for Michael Moore Inc., you may want to brush up on recent history at www.csmonitor.com/2004/0429/dailyUpdate.html).

A film that includes those voices but explains why they're wrong is a documentary with a clear point of view. A film that leaves them out in a wildly disproportionate way is propaganda. Including only one or two complaints in a propumentary doesn't reflect reality, guys. Somebody had an agenda here. That's fine--it was Somebody's prerogative. I just wish Somebody had revealed his own identity. "The People of Iraq" starred in this film. They probably did so at some risk to their lives. Bless them. But the producers and editors, presumably the ones who chose what interviews to include, were named "Drury," "Kunert," "Manes," "Robison," "Mark," and "Russell." Iraqis? Give me a friggin' break.

As an Iraqi I am proud of this movie...

[BabylonJ · 8/10 · 5 November 2004]

As an Iraqi I am proud of this movie for showing the beautiful side of the Iraqi people. I hope that many people around the world get to see the wonderful, caring, loving, funny side of the Iraqi people that this film presents. And Iraq's history and diversity.

Thank you to all of the Iraqis involved in this project for showing the world the beauty of Iraq and its people even as we suffer destruction, death, pain, and fear. It's remarkable how positive, hopeful, and funny the people are, given their circumstances.

I really like the different types of people featured in the film. The hip hop music adds a really nice touch!

A revealing window into Iraq

[Link0007 · 8/10 · 19 September 2005]

Voices of Iraq allows us to see Iraq through the point of view of those most affected by the war - ordinary Iraqis themselves. Most footage of Iraq on the news consists of footage of bombed-out cars and of grieving widows; Voices of Iraq is a refreshing break from this.

A substantial amount of the film shows Iraqis goofing off in front of the camera, as anyone would do when being filmed in an informal setting. This footage is the most revealing, reminding us that the Iraqs have a sense of humour and are human beings after all, something that is easy to forget when reading about the daily body count after each day's car bombing.

One must wonder at the objectivity of the film, however. The Iraqis shown are almost all pro-American, and despite the film being advertised as 'filmed and directed by the people of Iraq', this covers up the fact that the film has been edited and put together by non-Iraqis. The relatives of those Iraqis killed in air strikes or pro-Saddam Iraqis are noticeably absent from the film. Despite this, the film allows us to see life from the point of view of a long-suffering and long-misunderstood people.

or more aptly titled, 'the carefully selected voices of Iraq the producers would like you to hear'

[Zen Bones · 4 November 2004]

I rented this enthusiastically to see what people in Iraq have been going through in the past year. We see so little from their POV on the news. It starts out great, about 50% of the people are glad the US is there and the other 50% would be willing to go back to the pre-Hussein days. Yay, this is going to be a nice and balanced documentary! Then I started to notice an interesting trend. Even though the film proudly touts that it has no narrative voice, every now and then titles would come up telling us how some US newspaper (like The Washington Post) would say that it's too dangerous for people to go out of their homes. Then we'd see people happily bustling around doing their shopping and what not. All right, so there is a little outside narrative but okay, I'm willing to be told that it looks like the press has been exaggerating things. That's good to know. Then we see an angry crowd protesting in front of TV cameras around an armored vehicle that had just been bombed. There is a cut and then we see the same area with the smoke still rising but the crowds have now dispersed. The titles tell us that once the TV press dispersed, so did the crowd. It doesn't take a great deal of intelligence to figure out that people don't protest to each other or the walls. Why should they continue to stand around? I still tried to keep an open mind. Soon what followed was about ten minutes or so of grisly stock footage of people being tortured, mutilated and murdered by Hussein's regime. My heart broke about a million times over. I'm so glad that that sadist is gone although I can't stop thinking to myself that maybe if we'd not originally sold him so many of the arms and chemicals that he used on his people, he never would have been able to stay in power so long. Then we see a video from the insurgency (I wonder how people get a hold of it, is it sold in video stores?) showing the dead and wounded from the American bombing with chants of 'Abu Grahib! Abu Grahib!' Maddening propaganda, though my mind can't help but see a slight connection between what we are being made to see in order to feel good that we got rid of Hussein, and what they want the Iraqi people to see so they'll feel good about getting rid of us. That's war for you.

The fact is, the film is sadly an exploitation of a complicated, harrowing situation in order to help us Americans feel less guilt about the numbers of Iraqi dead in the past 21 months (which the British journal Lancet has recently estimated is around 100,000). The overwhelming majority of people interviewed in this 'documentary' are very, very cheerful but one also notices, most of them are also very well off financially and from what we can see, living in areas that have not been involved in any bombings. The people who are not cheerful understandably, are living in the areas that have been bombed but strangely, that footage ultimately amounts to about five to ten minutes of the film. I'm not saying I want to see a film all about that. I want to see a film that shows us both the best and the worst EVENLY so we can better understand the people and what it is that really needs to be done to help them. The producers made a decision to use this particular 78 minutes out of over 400 hours worth of footage, and their intentions are very clear. The film has been released exclusively through Netflix through a 'unique relationship' with Freedom Republic: The Premiere Conservative Newsforum ('unique relationship' is what they say they have with Netflix on their site). And the producer Archie Drury is quoted as saying that the film 'does make Bush look good' (and it was released just a couple of weeks before the election, gee!). Not exactly balanced! If you feel you must watch this – and I do think it is important to see the horrors of Hussein and the merits of the good people of that country, particularly the Kurds – also give yourself the opportunity to balance it with the documentary 'Control Room'. Between the two, you'll manage to get a fairly clear picture of the range of hopes, dreams, despair, worries and resilience of the people of Iraq. I just wish those who ended up on the editing room floor could have had the chance to get their voices heard as well.

A unique idea for a documentary, brilliantly executed

[jt_187 · 9/10 · 4 November 2004]

This film captures a side of the War in Iraq that most people have never seen before. The way the Iraqis are able to speak freely into the cameras and act as the directors of the film, really exposes a lot of truths about the war. The film allows you to see so much more than what the News Channels deem noteworthy. Whats most important about the movie is that it gives the people of Iraq a voice.

Voices of Iraq allows you to experience a country and it's people who have finally been awarded their freedom, and the struggle they must endure to keep it. The footage looks amazing, and the interviews are extremely powerful. Yet there is plenty of humor and sadness throughout the film as well.

I would recommend Voices of Iraq as a must see for everyone. It's a revolutionary film making process, that produced amazing results.

Read This Before Seeing This Film!

[meddlecore · 7/10 · 12 July 2005]

This should be read before watching this movie, while watching please consider the following: This is an example of American media Iraqi style. This film is a propaganda film. BUT do not condemn this film without watching it because it is an excellent film. This film, which is summed up perfectly by a young man near the end of the film, focuses on the POSITIVE ASPECTS ONLY, of this war. The 150 digital cameras that were distributed to the Iraqi people whom made (part of) this film, were distributed by the army, this is obvious as the time frame of the film coincides with the advancement of the foreign military. This must be remembered during all times in this movie. In some cases the video footage was being shot by a US soldier (rocker scene) and in other cases by European troops (stated by one interviewee), at other times it seemed evident that interviews were being made in the presence of troops, or some foreign person. Also, besides the first section of the film (which i was very surprised to find in there), where anti American sentiment was being conveyed, the majority of the film consists of those who were opposed or oppressed by Saddam, and also, discluding the first section once again, none of the footage was from anywhere or anyone who had been directly affected by the war(as everyone in Iraq is obviously affected). This film did show how a lot of things DID get better as a result of Saddam's overthrow, such as the right to mobility and free speech being restored. My major beef with this films was the headlines...they were completely unnecessary, out of context and uncalled for, and i felt they took away from the integrity of the film. What i did like about this film was that it showed many of the different cultures in Iraq. In order to gain anything from this film I think you must ignore the politics and view this as a film about Iraqi culture. If you go into viewing this film knowing that it is propaganda, and being able to rationally interpret what the people are saying then i think this is actually a pretty cool film, on some of the good that came out of something so terrible. I give it a 7 out of 10.

Forget your politics, this is a fascinating self-portrait of real people

[bludhund · 9/10 · 7 January 2006]

In a world bombarded with slickly packaged rhetoric and insulated from reality by an out-of-date and dysfunctional media, this is a refreshing dose of authenticity. More than anything else, it gives the viewer a rich experience of real human beings, who stand in contrast to the vague two-dimensional characters who populate our public imagination.

Clearly, a certain degree of subjectivity creeps into the presentation through the selection of what interviews to publish and how they should be edited. Also, the producers of the film insert file footage from insurgent propaganda and Baath regime atrocities. (herein lies my only caveat: there is some extremely graphic footage). However, I would say at least that if Michael Moore's work is valid documentary, or the TV networks' coverage is valid journalism, this work surpasses both.

Some of the other commentary on IMDb has claimed that too many people in these interviews express 'pro-Bush' sentiments. This is a parochial concept. Expressions of hope and optimism for one's national and personal prospects need not be 'pro-Bush' or even 'pro-American'. Instead, I would submit that what we are seeing is Iraqis' genuine pride and confidence in *their own* people and their commitment to better themselves.

The bottom line is that what the viewer sees is real (and interesting) people expressing their real thoughts and feelings. If these very human stories and images don't evoke your emotion and sympathy, then you should take your stone heart elsewhere.

Let's hear it for the Iraqi people

[Chris_Docker · 7/10 · 26 August 2005]

It's hard not to go to a movie called Voices of Iraq without bringing your personal views about the war, but it is a film with a value that goes beyond political.

150 video cameras were distributed to ordinary Iraqis over the summer of 2004. The resulting 400 hours of film were collected and edited down to about 80 minutes, subtitled, produced with Ango-Iraqi hip-hop music, occasionally cut with graphic footage from Saddam's regime, and overlaid with U.S. newspaper headlines or occasional explanatory notes. If has a fresh feel to it - if not exactly a tourist promotion video it does let you hear a large number of Iraqis talk about their country in their own words and a variety of locations that a Westerner would have difficulty visiting. What I liked best about it was seeing men, women and children with real hopes and dreams in such a devastated country, genuine smiling faces even in adversity, and some of the love and warmth of local people that is so easily forgotten when we only see footage of a war-torn country. "I hope the world will see our smiles," says one, and it is a beautiful image, far from the stereotype of the terrorist, religious spokesman, insurgent, or politician.

Voices of Iraq includes some very moving interviews. A Kurdish woman, restraining her tears as she recalls it, says how she started smoking at University and also regularly burning herself with cigarettes. Why? So she could be 'prepared' for when she was tortured. There were many reminders of the millions that Saddam tortured and killed. One man jokes about wanting to be tortured at Abu Ghraib, comparing the minor violations there to the horrific tortures exacted by Saddam Hussein.

Media headlines from the U.S. press are contrasted with opposing footage. For instance, a banner reading, "Militia force people to stay at home" introduces scenes of a vibrant, bustling street-market.

For anyone who has served in Iraq, or their friends and family, this is an uplifting film, and in many ways makes a more believable case for the invasion than the politicians on TV. For an upbeat (if not totally pro-American) view of the war it is positive and genuine. To watch it in the same afternoon as Fahrenheit 9/11 (if you are sufficiently open minded) might even persuade you there is no complete right or complete wrong.

But like Michael Moore's inflammatory anti-invasion film, Voices of Iraq is flawed and cannot claim to be as impartial or unbiased as it would like, simply because the people speaking on it are Iraqis. We have no way of knowing how it was edited - certainly there is no claim to have used a sociologically sound sampling method and to do so would possibly have made uninteresting viewing, but to suggest it was 'made' by the people of Iraq is disingenuous. Whilst the footage was shot by Iraqis, the editing, and hence any message to be distilled from that large amount of film, was done by an ex marine and his two NY colleagues with MTV experience.

Voices of Iraq fills a necessary hole in our understanding as long as it is not viewed unquestioningly. It enables you to feel warmer towards Iraqis as people. If it does 'support the position of the Bush administration' (as some have claimed) that's not sufficient reason to dismiss it.

At the Edinburgh International Film Festival UK premiere, Voices of Iraq was screened with a short called, 'Where is Iraq', which likewise has informal interviews with Iraqis, filmed by an Iraqi-Canadian. It provided some balance (as there were more anti-American views than pro) but itself suffered from the same problem - that if you interview enough people you will get the views you want.

Whatever your feelings about Iraq, it is still a country of real people, individuals like you or me. Voices of Iraq brings that a little bit closer.

A Fascinating Film

[huckfinn135 · 10/10 · 6 November 2004]

Check your pro-war or anti-war bias at the door and go to see this film. What you will see is an amazingly diverse country, from the Marsh Arabs in the south to the Kurds in the north. Over 100 digital video cameras were distributed to Iraqis and they shot footage of their lives. The footage was shot between January and September, 2004. I was struck by how limited our sense of who Iraqis are has been. Given all of our technology, why is it that we don't get to hear more Iraqi voices in U.S. media? Iraqis have an amazing sense of humor, irony and optimism. I came away hoping more than ever that they can succeed in building a stable country and asking myself why so many want them to fail.

Optimism of Iraqi People Revealed

[American_Delight · 7/10 · 12 September 2009]

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.

Whitewash of Western crimes

[canadamelody · 5/10 · 19 February 2007]

REVISION:

I wish to stress that I do not have a problem with the Iraqi people in this documentary they are delightful and fascinating, a few are not so but most are. My complaint is with the documentary exterior editorial elements.

My original posting as follows:

This documentary pretends neutrality but in fact there are so many glaring omissions that in the political sense it cannot be taken seriously. Furthermore the questions asked of people are so bland and even to highly educated people the questions being bland assure bland answers. All the major elements of US/UK harm done to the country is omitted. The more than a decade long of US/UK bombing of the country and the even more devastating genocidal economic sanctions that cost 1 million Iraqi lives and cemented Saddam's power and provided the regime with an assurance of a people too ill and hungry to do the over-throwing themselves. In the section on the North Kurdish region there is no mention of the rewards given to Saddam by Thatcher and Bush senior after the chemical genocide nor any recognition that on the other side of the boarder in Turkey throughout the 90's Kurds were being slaughtered and ethnic cleansed by a NATO nation with the full backing of Clinton/Major/Blair and an endless flow of arms from the USA/UK/Israel to Turkey. Do the Iraqi Kurds feel nothing for Turkish Kurds ? Watching this documentary you would think so. I don't believe it however. In regard to the uprisings in the South in 1991 there is no mention of the US forces blocking anti-Saddam rebels from ammunition storehouses or US helicopters flying over and simply watching Saddam's helicopters and ground forces slaughtering people or that Bush senior told the Pentagon to let Saddam's Republican guard pass through coalition lines on their way to putting down the anti-Saddam rebellion. No mention of the origins of the Baathist regime and Saddam's history with the CIA. And why does the documentary say 24 years for the period of time lacking free speech. Is it not more? Saddam took control without the title of President in 1968 and the Baathists were installed into power by the Kennedy administration in 1963. Then Saddam had his power made formal with the Presidency in 1979. The documentary shows very real footage of barbaric crimes of the Saddam regime but shows nothing to counter one man's foolish idea that the victims of American torture are all evil, when in fact we know that it has been quite the opposite, countless innocent people rounded up by both American troops and government security forces and Blackwater thugs and thrown into prisons and tortured.

Who directed this....Condi Rice ?

PS. See the documentary PAYING THE PRICE: KILLING THE CHILDREN OF IRAQ which is part of the JOHN PILGER: DOCUMENTARIES THAT CHANGED THE WORLD 4 disc REGION 2 DVD box set.

As journalist Robert Fisk always says if the primary export of Iraq were fruit and veg, Saddam would still be in power. The occupation authority was set up as a system of economic colonial rape. Only so far its not exactly working out as they planned. The idea that the Neo-Cons or the Clintonites were going to provide for the Iraqi people when neither provided for the people of New Orleans is simply a deluded farce.

Wonderful people; excellent film; terrible captions

[frank-614 · 10/10 · 25 October 2005]

It always amazes me to see people who have endured great oppression and pain smiling so freely. The film makes it pretty clear that Iraqis have an indomitable spirit. I was struck by the almost unanimous level of support for America and "democracy" presented in the film - especially since an Iraqi poll released yesterday reported that in some areas 65 percent support attacks on US military, and less than one percent think the occupation is improving security. Even if a cynical view held that the film's American editors introduced their spin, the pure joy expressed by the children and twenty-somethings being filmed and filming was clearly genuine.

Included in the film are archival clips - shocking examples of Sadaam's torturers at work. A few seconds of these is almost enough to turn any skeptic into a True Believer Bushite.

One grumble: Is there a special motion picture school out there that trains sadists to create captions for foreign language films shown in the US? Those in "Voices of Iraq" have to be the absolute most painful to endure - they are tiny, often projected with little contrast with the background and flashed on and off so fast that one would have to be a champeen speed reader to follow wot the h they said.

2nd grumble: Next time they do another film like this, hopefully they will hand out tripods along with the cameras. With the camera movement almost constant and the bleepin captions blinking on and off, it is a challenge to concentrate - but seeing the people up front and close and speaking their minds, made it well worth the minor irritation. Check it out.

Interesting, but biased

[bass2333 · 4/10 · 19 June 2005]

I was looking forward to watching this movie, and it does contain very interesting perspectives from Iraqis all over the country, not just in major areas.

However, as the film went on, and as it seemed to become increasingly more one-sided, I started wondering who had edited the film. To get several hundreds of hours down to just 80 minutes, obviously decisions had to be made.

I would have really enjoyed a film that showed how everyday Iraqis felt on all sides of the issues, but with the newspaper headlines in contrast to what people were saying, and with everyone in the movie having the same opinion at the end, I thought it was obvious that the editing was done with a pre-conceived bias.

It could have been such a great film.

Interesting but slanted

[KelsoKing · 12 February 2005]

I had never been motivated to submit a comment before seeing this film and reading the IMDb comments about it. The movie portrayed such a different attitude within Iraq than I expected that I could hardly wait to see what others had to say about it. The first thing I noticed in reading the comments was how some used their "comment" as a forum to attack "the left" rather than discuss the merits of the film. Those from the left suggested that this film may only show one side of the story.

Sitting here in the USA, I have been frustrated by being unable to know what the real story is inside Iraq, so I was anxious to see this film. As others have said, it is definitely worth watching. It is an intimate, revealing and touching portrait of Iraqis and what it is like to live in Iraq. However, as I watched the film I couldn't help wondering who had made it and how accurate it is.

While it is suggested or implied that all of the footage contained in the film was shot by private Iraqi citizens, this is not actually the case. The film also includes archival footage of torture and genocide perpetrated by Saddam Hussein and his regime. In addition, newspaper headlines are shown at different times during the film that appear to be designed to show how different the newspaper accounts were from what the film is showing. I'm not saying that any of this was inaccurate but it added subjectivity to the film that went beyond Iraqis expressing their views "in their own words" and "telling their own story" as the promo material suggests. To me this "editorializing" suggested and revealed a specific bias in the film.

Furthermore, promotional material for the film states that "the producers of Voices of Iraq distributed over 150 digital video cameras across the entire country to enable everyday people - mothers, children, teachers, sheiks and even insurgents - to document their lives and their hopes amidst the upheaval of a nation being born." This is not really accurate. While the film does contain video footage of mothers, children, teachers and sheiks that was shot for the film, as stated, the video footage of "insurgents" was not shot for the film but shot by the insurgents themselves for their own purposes, whatever those may have been. Furthermore, the insurgent footage was not an interview at all but rather footage only of someone's hands wiring a bomb. Contrary to what was advertised, no information or opinion from the insurgent perspective was included in the film at all. Regardless of whether it is right or wrong, this is a significant perspective but one that was not addressed in the film and is not often addressed in Western media.

All in all, I thought the movie was interesting and informative but couldn't help wondering what was contained in the 400 hours of footage that were left on the cutting room floor. As someone else said, I suggest that you watch the movie, do your own research and draw your own conclusions. For a different perspective on this situation watch "Control Room."

To the "progressive" Left, The truth is an awful, awful thing

[Grover91506 · 10/10 · 23 January 2005]

I really am beginning to feel bad for the American Left (i.e. The Democratic Party as represented by Michael Moore, Howard Dean, Barbara Boxer, and John Kerry). They are losing control of the information pipeline. This film is example #34 of their inability to control the media. Unfortunately for them, CBS CNN, ABC, NBC, PBS, The New York Tmes, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times and the rest of the elite establishment media can't stop progress. The dam is crumbling and they are trying to plug the holes with bubble gum.

This film tells the tale of Iraq from an Iraqi point of view, and the American Left can't stand it. They believe that they have sole possession of the truth and it is they, not the Iraqi people, who will tell the world the truth about Iraq. But alas, truth is a very tricky thing, and it sneaks out eventually, and unfortunately for the American Left, it is beginning to expose their dishonesty and snobbish elitism. They truly believe that they are far more intelligent, possess far more wisdom, and are far better human beings than the ordinary working people of America. It is a shame, to the bigots from the Left, that Americans now have the ability to actually see a film like this, that tells the same tale that has been limited to letters home from American soldiers. These letters can be found littered throughout conservative websites, but they cannot be found on the pages of any major American newspaper, or in the broadcast of any American Network, with the exception of a rare appearance on FOX. The "progressive" Left hates the kind of truth that an American soldier or an ordinary Iraqi can tell. A "truth" not yet sifted through their bitter, hate-filled, narcissistic filter.

The real truth is that the American Left couldn't care less about the Iraqi people, or the women of Afghanistan, or any other oppressed person on this earth. What they do care about is maintaining their luxurious lives with as little discomfort, physical or emotional, as possible, and oppressed people seeking freedom are just thorns that upset the bliss of "progressive" ignorance.

Thank you Mr. Drury, Mr. Kunert, and Mr. Manes. Every new film like this that comes out is just another hole in the dam that the establishment Left can't fill fast enough. To totalitarian types, and the "progressive" American Left, the truth is an awful, awful thing.

Great movie, must see

[chorney-l · 10/10 · 13 November 2004]

This film is a must see, for both sides of the political spectrum, as well for people who want to get a glimpse at the beautiful culture of Iraqi. If Bush was right or wrong for invading Iraq, that will be up for the history books to decide, but this film shows maybe out of a mistake we can create something positive. Don't believe the incredibly circumstantial report from Lancet of 100,000 Iraqi's dead, but I would think of the estimate of 15,000 thousand which most radically leftists would agree on is more accurate, if accurate at all. But according to the film, 8 million were killed under Saddam's reign, which is worse I suppose? Well, I loved the movie and if you have a chance to see I highly recommend it.

Incredible.

[Anonymous_Maxine · 10/10 · 28 April 2005]

There is, of course, some controversy over the legitimacy of this film as far as whether it has a political agenda or not. It is indeed strange that they distributed 150 video cameras and, if each camera was distributed with only one tape, that's about 150 hours of footage, which was then whittled down to a meager 80-minute film. If there were two tapes per camera, about 300 hours of footage, etc. It's a clever marketing device to claim that this film was directed by the Iraqi people, but that is, of course, nonsense, because the person in the editing room could have made any film they wanted out of the footage that they had to work with.

The fact that at least 150 hours of footage was cut into a film that doesn't even run a full hour and a half should immediately dispel any idea that the people of Iraq had anything to do with directing this movie, but you can't help but respect the goal of giving the Iraqis a medium through which to try to tell their stories. But in order to allow them to truly direct the movie, it would have to be 150 hours long. Whatever the case, the film does give unprecedented insight into what normal life in Iraq is like.

What I love about the film is that it does try to show every side of the issue. There are some people who say they wish they could go back to the way things were before the Americans came to Iraq, even if it meant going back to the Iraqi regime, there are people who mourn the death of loved ones lost in battle with the Americans, there are people who sit together and have serious, concerned conversations about the occupation, understanding the damage that it is doing to their country and their fellow Iraqis, but also understanding how important it is that the Americans stay there to maintain security.

There are people in this film that claim that the Americans do nothing but harm to their country and there are people who call us saviors, and of course, peppered in the middle of all of these normal people voicing their concerns about the state of their union are various videos from the insurgents, displaying their sheer brutality and total lack of humanity.

I remember when Saddam's sons were killed and their corpses displayed all over the covers of magazines and newspapers all over the world, I was shocked that a sovereign nation like the United States would display something so grotesque and brutal about the family of the leader of another sovereign nation, even if the broadcast brutality involved a vicious dictator like Saddam Hussein. But man, once I saw the videos that were shown in this movie, I wanted to go over there myself and start shooting. Of course, I'd last about 30 seconds in Iraq with my white skin and blue eyes.

On the other hand, when I think about it, it doesn't surprise me that people are accusing the makers of this film of being involved with the Bush administration. To be sure, I wouldn't put something as sneaky as that past Curious George and his minions, but I think that the film does a good job of showing all sides. Because while the vicious and sickening videos of Uday Hussein and the disturbing melodies chanted in the Taliban videos by far overshadow everything else, the film also vindicates Michael Moore (Did you notice the children laughing and playing? See? It really does happen! Even in Iraq!), and would any company working for the Bush administration want to do something crazy like that?

Amazing but, should come with clothes pins to cover its sent of B.S.

[Stevemayeda · 1/10 · 30 December 2004]

Well there's a few things about this movie. Everyone should see it. You see the nation of Iraq like you've never seen it covered by the media, and shot from a perspective that is hardly considered by most Americans, where the movie has its main audience. However all that glorious stuff in mind lets take a look at a few other facts of the movie. There were 150 cameras handed out to the Iraqi people most all of which view the war and subjugation of the occupying forces as a growing pain for the bettering of their nation. And in comparison to Saddam it is simply a feeble scratching at the skin. Also, Netflix as its main distributor advertised it before the fun election we just had by sending out a mass e-mail to its entire roster to see the film. Many of the, what should be labeled as opinions played out as facts listed off by the interviewed Iraqis are wrong. If one is to review the Red Cross' records of Abu Ghraib tortures it wasn't Saddam's henchmen who were being tortured it was a fine mix of a 80-90% innocent civilians and 10-20% rightfully detained people. Never was it disclosed that any of that 10-20% were Saddam's Henchmen or curfew violators. In addition the Arab world really has never listed 'Democracy' as one of their opponents, more correctly it is the USA's 6 Billion Dollars a year to Isreal, our military bases in Saudi Arabia and our interest in Oil. I agree that the media is a complete distortion, but this film shows that same distortion. I'm afraid that the Iraqi people that this film represents have been edited to speak with a Yankee voice. Yes its true that Saddam is a puke, and that his removal many see for the best. Its true that some Iraqis actually get paid a good wage. Just as its true that no Iraqi people have control of their most prized oil and US corporations do. Nor does it mention that 20,000 civilians have died due exclusively to US artillery. Still 15% of the country which once had running water and electiricity now does not. Nor does it mention that from 1993-2003 UN sanctions purposed and authored by the USA Government killed over 200,000 Iraqi civilians. Nor does it mention that Democracy in when people decide the government, not a massive war machine that sends the message, 'Be killed or Obey'. I am afraid that the cutting room floor must have quite a bit of Iraqis that aren't so happy with the Occupation. Just as the vast majority of the world was not for the war. In fact the America, Britian, Spain and the rest of them are not carriers of Democracy, they turned their back to it when they saw how full their pockets could be. Hurray, Saddam is out of power, but I'm afraid that no Iraqi is yet in power. Corporations are in power, the media is in power. Read, do your own research, and don't let them blindfold you.

Stunning, powerful documentary. A must see.

[PyrolyticCarbon · 10/10 · 26 August 2005]

The first thing to realise about this documentary is that it is filmed by Iraqi people, it's Iraqi's behind the camera that were most likely in front of the camera a few scenes before. It's this that strikes you afterwards as the most powerful point. It's their words.

So with this in mind it's amazing to see and hear what actual Iraqi people are saying. There's much controversy from this movie with suggestions it's one sided, yet what is less biased than hearing what the people in the country we have troops in are saying? This story is not one that should be dismissed on anyone's word. This is a movie that tells us what Iraqi people are thinking. That's it. Sure, I share a huge concern about the three hundred and ninety-eight hours that have been cut from this movie, what did they say? Anything, a different message? Perhaps, but the point is, right now this is the closest many of us are going to get to the truth without visiting Iraq and being with the people.

It's an incredibly insightful and hard hitting movie. Forgetting the argument of the whether there has been political editing, the actual editing is very good. It pulls the stories into areas of Iraq to show the travel of the cameras, it mixes scenes of utter sadness and despicable torture - little is actually shown but enough to know what happens is - with moments of complete happiness and children's joy.

Each of the key sections of the film are either defined by a move to a new location and\or a date in time to recognise an event. Usually accompanying the date is a Western newspaper headline from a prominent paper of that time, a headline which heavily contradicts the images you see before the camera. It was stunning to see a headline like "Iraqi citizens scared of local militia, streets deserted" while watching shots of extremely busy market places and the hustle and bustle of normal life. Seeing children playing and joking with the camera when an explosion happens somewhere in the not too far distance, and the kids keep playing, calming each other and telling them to carry on is a disconcerting sight.

What comes across most is human side of the stories, and the connection you can feel with the people. Two scenes stood out in this way for me, one was seeing all the students talk of and celebrate their graduation, with the other being the women who were talking about receiving their free passports. "Now we are free to travel for the first time" and one woman leaps up, her hands waving in the air, a huge smile as she runs across the room to grab the passports and show them to the camera. She's so genuinely excited and happy, and you suddenly see something extraordinary. These are people like you. Before you would see them as another religion, dressing differently, different customs and ways, but here you see things that you do, that you feel, and the empathy and understanding in that moment makes you realise that.

Then you'll see tough moments. The mother asking, confused, about why her son had to die; Listening to the Doctor talk of treating people whose tongues were cut out for speaking against the regime; Hearing of how Uday would visit the market each Saturday and choose a girl to rape. These stories hit you hard and emotionally, helped along by the continuing realisation of the connection with these people.

Former torture victims of the prison that is now famous, Abu Ghraid, speak of the torture they received under Saddam's regime. One jokes that any Iraqi would be happy to undergo the torture of being stripped and being played with by a female soldier, it was much more attractive than what they received. Comedy in the bleakest of moments.

The hardest part, and the least reported, is the devastation caused by the chemical attacks on the Kurds. We see photos taken of the first bombs being dropped, and of the people lying in the streets. To see this is to understand why something had to be done. Hearing the viewpoints of the Kurds living under the no fly zone for so long and seeing their way of life is an extremely interesting contrast to some of the others in central Iraq.

One of the most amusing moments was seeing the heavy metal band, talking in Americanised English. For a moment I thought we had stumbled on some bizarre tour, however the real truth is more amazing, and funnier. Life goes on, and again these kind of light moments seeing the actual lives of Iraqi people help to make the connection to ourselves much stronger. We aren't that different.

Two of the biggest revelations for me were the clear message of how much the Iraqi people want democracy, who's to blame for the attacks against their country and why. This is a strong and loud message that comes out of several different Iraqi's from different areas. It's something that I've never really thought about, and yet is very possible.

The realisation that the Iraqi people are like us is one thing, but something else comes across, their intelligence and desire to better themselves is immense. It's something that is so clearly lacking in many areas in the Western Countries and yet is shown throughout many of the children and adults in the documentary. Engineers, Scientists, Degrees, the desires of the children are what end the movie and started me thinking.

It is an amazingly powerful film, and something I think everyone should watch. This is a message from the Iraqi people themselves. There's no denying an amazing amount of footage is not shown, but there's nothing I've heard or seen to tell me that the cut footage contradicts the messages shown in this film. I urge you to see this movie.

A 'documentatry' Made by the US Military

[el_topo_foto · 1/10 · 30 December 2004]

Just do a little research on the making of this film. Something so simple as a Google search. It was funded by the US Army and promoted just in time for the elections. It is a great idea, but I'd much rather see a DOCUMENTARY, not something edited by the Bush Administration and told its reality. The timing of the movie's release, its tone, and the fact that MS&L promoted it, raised questions about the intent of the movie. "According to MS&L Managing Director Joe Gleason, he and his colleagues also deliver key targeted messages about the war in Iraq to specific constituencies," wrote Eartha Melzer. "Was the left-leaning art house crowd one of those constituencies? Is the government hiring documentary filmmakers to propagandize the U.S. population? Nobody involved with the film is willing to say who initially put up the money for the film or how they ended up represented by the Army's PR firm."

Oh if only it were all so simple...

[johnsamo-1 · 11 May 2005]

It seems from the comments that people basically like or dislike the film based on what they think about the war to begin with.

The pro-war crowd seems to like the documentary but they are generally making overly broad conclusions about what the pulse of the Iraq people is based on these anectdotal episodes. The anti-war crowd on the other hand seems a little hostile to it since it focuses a lot on how bad Saddam was and how happy many are to see him gone.

Being objective as I can and analyzing it just as a viewing experience, it was nice to get a glimpse into a part of the world you don't get to see very often from the point of view of the people who live there. Usually, they are just the subject of a news item as directed from a Western point of view....

That said, it wasn't all that informative or tell me anything I didn't know... Saddam was bad... knew that already... Some are happy to see him go, some wish he was back, knew that too....

None of this really illuminates the question on whether invading Iraq was a good idea or not. One could've made a virtually identical film in South Vietnam back in 1965 too... The Commies are bad, Some are glad the US is in Vietnam, some aren't...

Seeing this in the company of Iraqis

[jauharati · 9/10 · 19 March 2006]

The opinions are varied and diverse, contrary to some criticisms of this film. I was lucky to see it with my Iraqi neighbors. The one thing that stands out in this film is the eloquence and education of Iraqi women. Compared to Saudi and Afghani and Pakistani women, Iraqi women are leagues ahead. Iraq will succeed as a democracy only if the women are allowed to flourish. The unfortunate thing is that this film has not been released in theatres. If anything, it would make an excellent episode of Point of View or Frontline. The fact that the media hasn't covered this extraordinary film is more telling about what the media thinks is important than what ordinary people may think is important.

Put Up or Shut Up

[AbnCavScout · 10/10 · 10 January 2007]

As an American soldier over here in the middle east I have daily contact with the local citizens. Just like in the US, or the UK, or any other Country, one will encounter opposing views. I believe that the film accurately portrays the feelings and opinions of the majority of the citizens of Iraq. The opinions exhibited show both pro and anti US sentiments. The fact that the majority of the voices are positive is a direct reflection of the actual opinions of the majority of Iraqis themselves. To anyone who has expressed their opinion that this is right-wing pro-Bush propaganda, I challenge you to put up, or shut up. Come over here and ask an Iraqi citizen what they think. Spend a year over here. Despite what is portrayed on the daily news back home, we're making progress over here in stabilizing a country that is more fractured by religion than politics.

Voices of Iraq is one of the most moving and inspiring documentaries

[carlupq · 10/10 · 11 January 2006]

I agree completely with the review I read at DVDMOVIECENTRAL.

Voices of Iraq is one of the most moving and inspiring documentaries I've ever had the pleasure to watch. It's like witnessing the birth of an unimaginable miracle. If, as it has been said, the basic yearning of all human beings is to be free, then this is a film that speaks directly to that most sacred part of all of us.

It was a simple project instigated by a group called Voices of Freedom, who decided to distribute 150 digital video cameras to the people of Iraq in April of 2004, telling them to film anything they wanted to…themselves, their friends, their families…giving them full license to speak their minds and talk about whatever they felt like addressing. Then pass the cameras along so that others could do the same. In September, the cameras were collected, and the amassed footage was turned into this documentary…a film in which the Iraqis spoke with their own voice, with no one looking over their shoulders.

The six month period encompassed a lot of landmarks in the war…it began with the first Fallujah insurgency. Early on in the film, many Iraqis were disheartened. They were not sure if their futures had a chance with all the bombings and disruptive terrorist attacks. Though they were glad to be rid of Saddam Hussein, some wondered aloud if they would have been better off with him remaining in power.

But despite the hardships, many begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Setbacks are amusingly chronicled by the American media as worse than they are (we frequently see newspaper headlines on dates where the video footage is showing quite a different picture). How did the Iraqis really react, for example, to Abu-Grahib? At least one was impressed that America would apologize for it. Many had been in that prison when it was Saddam's torture chamber, and therefore don't see why such a fuss was being made over the photos that had the anti-war crowd in our country so up in arms.

On the day sovereignty was handed over, many media outlets tried to portray it as a symbolic but meaningless transfer of power. But in the eyes of the Iraqis, it was a new birth. People who used to work for slave wages were suddenly getting real money. Schools were being opened with a new sense of freedom. News agencies were celebrating that for the first time, they didn't have to censor themselves. Open discussions were being held about the emergence of the role of women in Iraqi society. Okay, some men were still a little hesitant about that, but the women were proud and fearless…one gleefully announces that if men won't give them their rights, they'll simply TAKE them. Another young woman is asked about the future of women's roles in her country. She pauses, laughs, and says, "I can't believe we're talking about this in IRAQ!" The Iraqi stock market began to emerge as a true economic force. Email addresses, which used to cost a year and a half's worth of an average salary, were becoming common as Iraqi citizens took to the internet. Passports used to cost a fortune and were hard to come by…now they are free and available to all. Some older citizens are shown beside themselves with joy that for the first time, they could travel.

We watch the nation look on as their national soccer team played in the Olympics for the first time in 16 years…they had been banned from participation since 1988 because of Uday Hussein's use of torture against players who lost matches. Now, playing for love of country instead of fear, they took to the world stage, and despite such a lengthy absence from the event, managed an impressive fourth place showing overall.

The music of the film is provided by an Iraqi group called Euphrates, whom we see as finally being able to record the kind of music they've always wanted to, without government restrictions. We see Christians and Muslims side by side, respecting one another and working together for the future of their nation. We see kids dreaming of growing up to be doctors and lawyers and such, while their parents look on and smile and realize the new generation will have the kinds of opportunities that theirs never had.

It's too bad that while vile propaganda films like Fahrenheit 9/11 get shoved down out throats for the better part of a year, a modest, unstaged and non-partisan film like Voices of Iraq has to struggle for distribution. It has only been shown in a few cities. This DVD was produced as a way of getting it seen, but it's not available in most stores…thankfully, Netflix has chosen to add it to their library so renters can get a look at what can only be described as a documentary of the purest kind…no scripts, no directions, just real people baring their real souls. I can only hope in the wake of Michael Moore that people will take the time to remember what a real documentary can be like.

Left Behind on the cutting room floor.

[httpmom · 5/10 · 21 November 2004]

O.K. I not at all ashamed to admit it...I'm the moderate liberal white female the red states love to hate. I was against this war before it ever started. And this movie didn't really change my mind. It is the right wing answer to Fahrenheit 9/11. It's not fair and balanced, unless you're Fox TV. However, in spite of it's partisan leanings the documentary was really compelling. The people are fascinating. However, while watching you quickly realize you are being lead by the nose, especially when the happy activities of the citizens are juxtaposed with quotes from major news journalists about the failures going on in Iraq. The next tactic was to show a disproportionate amount of footage of the torture Saddam had wrought on his detractors. Alright already, the whole worlds knew Saddam was a sadistic megalomania (BTW the pope is Catholic) but it still doesn't make him responsible for the 9/11 attacks or the possessor of WMD.

Curiously there is very little footage of American soldiers and a most perplexing scene in which insurgents are shown acting up only as long as American TV reporters were filming them. What was that all about? Is it to suggest that the insurgents only play out their terror if America is watching?

These trivial complaints aside, Voices Of Iraq has it's moments and will endear you to the people of Iraq...the children especially. They are so like kids anywhere in the world. Hams in front of the camera and filled with dreams of a happy future. Still...I am left wanting to see some of the Anti-American footage on the cutting room floor. The film glossed over the shame of Abu Ghraib and the fact that the insurgents may become a serious threat to the occupation. My hope is that we didn't promise these people a new life and not be able to deliver. It may be overly simplistic of me, but if we are struggling at home to assure our own children a decent education, health care, and economic security...how the heck can we can do it for someone else? How do we pay for it? (The Shrub administration said the oil fields would foot the bill, remember?) But now it seems the American people are footing the bill...and it's a BIG one. And how do we train the Iraqis to secure their own towns when we don't have coalition enough to do the job...or oops I forgot Poland? How long will Americans be willing to sacrifice their own children if the situation becomes a hopeless cause? etc...etc? Anyway, the movie is worth a viewing. Just like Fahrenheit 9/11 the end got a little prolonged. Voices Of Iraq is not rated (something I don't understand) because for the extreme violence it should be rated X.

A little aside...about two weeks before the presidential election Netflix actually sent out an email to all their customers asking if you would like to put this movie at the top of your queue. They had exclusive rights to DVD distribution while it was playing only in selected cities. It was the first and only time (I'm a charter member) I remember Netflix recommending a film via email. Different.

"Some people say" us blue state mothers are living immoral hedonistic sexually deviant unloving family lives (heterosexual married with children)...but I pray every day (probably to the wrong God) that all our children (red states too) can survive this war without mortgaging their future. I also hope the people of Iraq were not sold a bill of goods just so the fundamental faithful can have a foothold in the Middle East.