Blogging Iraq, occupation, liberation, chaos and all.
Seven Oak magazine published a review of Baghdad Blogger Movie, I sent them a counter review with a different persepective but it wasn't published. I thought I would share it here.
The 2004 Vancouver International Film Festival hosted the premier of Baghdad Blogger, a series of videos shot by an Iraqi man that goes by the pseudonym Salam Pax. The home brewed documentary style footage spans a time period of 18 months that starts from the dramatic capture of Saddam and ends with the violent uprising of Mahdi militias in Najaf. Salam interviews average people in the streets of Baghdad, shows the reaction of family and friends to the capture of Saddam and goes cruising in Sader city with Mahdi army militias who brag about attacking American soldiers. On the flip side the movie shows us more irrelevant and less media worthy aspects of live in Iraq. The young Iraqi man that starts a tattoo parlor, Salam trying to find a good liquor store to buy enough stash to last the whole holy month of Ramadan, the street corner smoothie shop with a colorful display of fruit juices. So who is this Salam? some people walked out asking after the movie. Is he a ba’athist? a CIA agent? a leftist? Is he in the pro war camp or anti war camp? One thing we know for sure is that he can’t possibly be religious with the amounts of liquor we see him lugging in one scene of the movie, but other than that, the movie doesn’t give us many clues.
In a polarized world, people demand clear cut demarcations, you are either pro Bush or pro Kerry. For or against the war on Iraq. A terrorist or a freedom fighter. With us or against us. On all these questions, the movie stays radically and defiantly ambivalent. On one hand he shows us the destruction in the city of Baghdad as a result of American bombing; on the other hand he shows us the new found freedoms that Iraqis are enjoying as a result of the removal of the oppressive Ba’athist regime. His heart bleeds to see the city of peace, the famous burial site outside of holy city of Najaf, become a battle ground. Yet on the other hand he seems delighted while viewing the wide plethora of independent news papers emerging in Iraq today when before only state run newspapers existed. He seems both delighted and bewildered to see the Shea’a processions happening all around Iraq for Shea’a religious ashoura celebrations, banned under the Ba’athist regime. Happy that people can practice their religion freely yet disturbed by the self mutilation that some participants engage in.
People that went into the movie expecting clear cut answers, left disappointed because there were non. I viewed the movie differently. I compare Baghdad Blogger to Forrest Gump, the American movie about a charming idiot that kept popping up at historically significant moments. Salam found himself in Baghdad, Iraq the most talked about city in the last 3 years and he decided to bear witness to the madness as it evolved. Like Mr. Gump he does not claim to understand the chaos around him nor impart wisdom about its significance. This is daily life in Iraq raw and unprocessed, sometimes irrelevant, other times disturbing. This is not a movie about monumental heroics, nor about experts with well refined opinions. This movie is a about the idiot who dares to show it like it is, without spin, without context and without towing the party line.
Lets beat to the chase, “Was the war worth it?”, Salam asks at one point in the movie. Well sometimes you need acknowledge the truth staring you straight in the face. While I went to every single anti war rally for months, despise the American foreign policy in the middle east, believe the US’ support for Israel is equivalent to crimes against humanity and resent seeing foreign troops in my own country, even I have to acknowledge that there have been positive outcomes from the American occupation of Iraq, even in my personal life. I used to go to many demonstrations apposing US and Israel in the city of Vancouver but would not dare speak a single word of criticism against the former Iraqi regime for fear of causing catastrophic outcomes to relations still residing in Iraq. Three years ago, whenever I met another Iraqi I would approach them with suspicion, “they might be a Ba’athist”, “they might be a spy for Saddam” the little voice would say inside my head. Today I feel comfortable to talk to anybody without the need to qualify their political affiliations. And If I in Vancouver was living in fear and silence, can you imagine the horror people living in Iraq had to endure? I never thought I would be saying this, but even I have to acknowledge that there have been positive outcomes from this war. I reserve final judgment until the promised Iraqi elections in Jan 2005. Salam being the ever optimistic fool has concluded that the answer is Yes already.
During the Q&A that followed the movie, I asked Salam, who was present in person, what his hopes for the future of Iraq were. He said that he hoped he wouldn’t hear about yet another bombing or kidnapping in the next 6 weeks. I do hope his wish comes true.
Life is a box of chocolates….each filled with liqueur, if Salam had his way. My chocolates would all be filled with dates from beloved Iraq. But, you never know what you are going to get.
The 2004 Vancouver International Film Festival hosted the premier of Baghdad Blogger, a series of videos shot by an Iraqi man that goes by the pseudonym Salam Pax. The home brewed documentary style footage spans a time period of 18 months that starts from the dramatic capture of Saddam and ends with the violent uprising of Mahdi militias in Najaf. Salam interviews average people in the streets of Baghdad, shows the reaction of family and friends to the capture of Saddam and goes cruising in Sader city with Mahdi army militias who brag about attacking American soldiers. On the flip side the movie shows us more irrelevant and less media worthy aspects of live in Iraq. The young Iraqi man that starts a tattoo parlor, Salam trying to find a good liquor store to buy enough stash to last the whole holy month of Ramadan, the street corner smoothie shop with a colorful display of fruit juices. So who is this Salam? some people walked out asking after the movie. Is he a ba’athist? a CIA agent? a leftist? Is he in the pro war camp or anti war camp? One thing we know for sure is that he can’t possibly be religious with the amounts of liquor we see him lugging in one scene of the movie, but other than that, the movie doesn’t give us many clues.
In a polarized world, people demand clear cut demarcations, you are either pro Bush or pro Kerry. For or against the war on Iraq. A terrorist or a freedom fighter. With us or against us. On all these questions, the movie stays radically and defiantly ambivalent. On one hand he shows us the destruction in the city of Baghdad as a result of American bombing; on the other hand he shows us the new found freedoms that Iraqis are enjoying as a result of the removal of the oppressive Ba’athist regime. His heart bleeds to see the city of peace, the famous burial site outside of holy city of Najaf, become a battle ground. Yet on the other hand he seems delighted while viewing the wide plethora of independent news papers emerging in Iraq today when before only state run newspapers existed. He seems both delighted and bewildered to see the Shea’a processions happening all around Iraq for Shea’a religious ashoura celebrations, banned under the Ba’athist regime. Happy that people can practice their religion freely yet disturbed by the self mutilation that some participants engage in.
People that went into the movie expecting clear cut answers, left disappointed because there were non. I viewed the movie differently. I compare Baghdad Blogger to Forrest Gump, the American movie about a charming idiot that kept popping up at historically significant moments. Salam found himself in Baghdad, Iraq the most talked about city in the last 3 years and he decided to bear witness to the madness as it evolved. Like Mr. Gump he does not claim to understand the chaos around him nor impart wisdom about its significance. This is daily life in Iraq raw and unprocessed, sometimes irrelevant, other times disturbing. This is not a movie about monumental heroics, nor about experts with well refined opinions. This movie is a about the idiot who dares to show it like it is, without spin, without context and without towing the party line.
Lets beat to the chase, “Was the war worth it?”, Salam asks at one point in the movie. Well sometimes you need acknowledge the truth staring you straight in the face. While I went to every single anti war rally for months, despise the American foreign policy in the middle east, believe the US’ support for Israel is equivalent to crimes against humanity and resent seeing foreign troops in my own country, even I have to acknowledge that there have been positive outcomes from the American occupation of Iraq, even in my personal life. I used to go to many demonstrations apposing US and Israel in the city of Vancouver but would not dare speak a single word of criticism against the former Iraqi regime for fear of causing catastrophic outcomes to relations still residing in Iraq. Three years ago, whenever I met another Iraqi I would approach them with suspicion, “they might be a Ba’athist”, “they might be a spy for Saddam” the little voice would say inside my head. Today I feel comfortable to talk to anybody without the need to qualify their political affiliations. And If I in Vancouver was living in fear and silence, can you imagine the horror people living in Iraq had to endure? I never thought I would be saying this, but even I have to acknowledge that there have been positive outcomes from this war. I reserve final judgment until the promised Iraqi elections in Jan 2005. Salam being the ever optimistic fool has concluded that the answer is Yes already.
During the Q&A that followed the movie, I asked Salam, who was present in person, what his hopes for the future of Iraq were. He said that he hoped he wouldn’t hear about yet another bombing or kidnapping in the next 6 weeks. I do hope his wish comes true.
Life is a box of chocolates….each filled with liqueur, if Salam had his way. My chocolates would all be filled with dates from beloved Iraq. But, you never know what you are going to get.
There is a way between voice and presence where information flows.
In disciplined silence it opens.
With wandering talk it closes. .... Rumi
4:25 PMEven having grown up under a moderately totalitarian regime, I'm still shocked to realize what a viciously totalitarian regime can be like.
I think Salam looks at things with a kind of double vision, having a father in the government and an ear for the jumble of real voices. He's also in the predicament of telling his stories in the ironic argot of Western pop culture. That didn't have to be a good thing, but, not unlike someone else around here, he happens to be a very gifted narrator.
9:03 PM
http://www.kitabat.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1480
11:16 PM
You have a gift for punch lines.
I actually learned, though, as a kid which shapes of chocolate were creams and other gucky stuff and which were the yummy nuts. I rarely missed.
;)
11:30 AM
Dear Anonymous,
I understand what you are saying. It is very hard to read that horrific number - 100,000 and not want to throwup. I just want to hope that something better is possible and that the worst is behind us. I want to maintain that hope and hold on to it. Perhaps I am being foolish and silly.
2:18 PM
always expect the worse....
that way if something else than worse happens it'll appear like good news. If not, you were prepared for it anyway...
anyhow, you only get good endings in movies. Real life can get a little bit messy. But I agree that even when surrounded by deep s*** you can find positive things to keep you going "through the night"
Javier
8:45 AM
I haven't seen the film, but I would like to. The kaleidoscopic perspective of anything this big and upheaving is no doubt the correct one. Iraq is in the center of its own hurricane. The eye of the world is upon her. The winds of change have littered her streets with the stench of chaos and blown away thirty years of an evil air as thick as cake. The true outcome lies in the visions of the people of Iraq. The tower has toppled. The earth has shook. The sacrificed lie dead before all of us. Man, I hope it turns out....
10:24 AM
W was reelected last night. that must really piss you off, right? the "infidel" won again. i bet you're walking around crying all day as if your dog just got ran over. grow up and mind your own business. you know nothing about america.
5:00 PM
I've said it once long ago under a different name before your blog allowed comments, thought it many times as I've read your posts, and now have to say again: Beautiful, delightful writing which raises a multitude of ideas worthy of extended contemplation. While I may hold certain views that are very different from some of yours, I sure do appreciate your writing, your thoughts, and your perspective. Thank you.
7:36 PM
Ihath, thank you for your posts-insightful, moving, funny,...
I apologize for the arrogance of the gloater who posted above.
Many of us voted against bush; I wonder for which of his many
crimes he will be most notorious in the future--the mass killing of
Iraqi civilians, the acceleration of catastrophic global warming
and other ecological disasters, or the irresponsible fiscal policies
that will destroy Social Security and medical care for the poor and the
elderly in the US. Please keep writing.--Martin from New York
9:55 PM
Isn't that the rich......, barking once more, posting under anon. or am I mistaken
BTW, you should change your name into poor......, cause with such lowly childish manners you would always be poor
You'r pathetic man.... is that your understanding of democracy with whoever opposeses you in viewpoints
anon.
12:12 AM
martin, from the peoples socialist republic of new york, you obviously dont reflect the views of the majority of america. im a democrat that voted for bush in PA because i got disgusted by people like yourself, and others, bashing the president every second of the day. this is the 3rd election in a row the democrats have gotten rocked. 1 democratic president in the last 24 years. i hope my party learns and changes back to the days of FDR, truman, and JFK. i dont think there should be any gloating or sour grapes. it was a fair election, the best man won, and now we should come together as a country and world to defeat terrorism, which should be everyones common enemy.
2:23 AM
OMG !!! IHATH !!! You MET HIM !!! i am so jealous.
Did he know who you were during the Q & A ?
5:18 AM
Nice post! I'll come by again ... :)
3:25 AM
thanks for the review Ihath, they got the order of the films wrong at the festival; the one asking [was it worth?] should have been the third. and what you also miss when seeing them all together in a movie theatre is background. the films were shown on TV as part of a news program, things are seen in context.
the [was it worth it?] was done last December or January. Life was sweet back then, I and my producer were on the street filming and having fun with poeple making fun of me and my signs. Things have changed; it felt as if I should have explained every episode before it was shown.
I do have a problem with the films, the producers at the BBC do actually want them to be "paxed" i.e. they should be funny. As much as it hurt but the Gump comparission is right. I am supposed to act the clown, I don't feel like it anymore. but the snow ball started by the weblog just refuses to stop rolling.
I know this is the wrong place to post this, I should have written to the guy who posted that review, but I don't care what he thinks of me while I do care what you think. that's why I felt I needed to explain.
you should have said it was you asking the question, I was on the verge of tears by your question. I felt I made an idiot of myself.
3:43 AM
very nice blog...
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