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The revival of Iraqi
cinema is still in its infancy, but festival
participants are pleased that filmmakers could come
together at all.
In one of the first film festivals held in Iraq
since the fall of Saddam Hussein, film makers
focused on the themes of terrorism, violence, the
Baath era and the current state of society.
About 50 short films made by various Iraqi
filmmakers including Kurds and Arabs were shown at
the festival, held in the Iraqi Kurdistan town of
Erbil and sponsored by the Aveen Film Company.
The festival, held from September 1 to September 3,
had an anti-violence theme.
The event was held a few days after the largest
single loss of life since the March 2003 American
invasion. On August 31, about 1,000 Iraqis died in
the panicked chaos that ensued after someone shouted
there was a suicide bomber in a large crowd of Shias
taking part in a religious procession.
Many people were trampled while others jumped into
the river Tigris even if they could not swim.
Anwar Shekhani, the festival manager, said the aim
was to stand up to terrorists using the language of
the cinema. He also said the festival showed that
the insurgents are unable to ruin the lives of
Iraqis.
"Although sophisticated cinematic techniques are not
used in the films here, it is nice that following
the fall of the Saddam regime, this is the first
time a cinema festival has been organised at this
level in Iraq," he said.
Director Raid Amjed, from Baghdad, showed his film
titled “Future” at the festival. It dealt with the
poor education system in schools and also the bad
upbringing that some parents give their children,
and how in turn this produces the insurgents of the
future.
“The gathering of artists in this festival indicates
that Iraqis are against terror and terrorists,” he
said.
Sulaimaniyah-based director Taban Yaseen focused on
Saddam’s acts of oppression in a work called “Army
Boots”.
"Cinema is very weak in Iraq, but we hope that
cinema will take a positive step forward through
this festival," she said, adding that the principal
success of the event was that it brought together
artists from different faiths and ethnic groups.
Writer Sherzad Hasan, who reviewed the films on
show, acknowledged that they were not of the highest
quality, but said they were nevertheless important
as a vehicle through which Iraqis revealed their
feelings and concerns.
"Because of that, some of them are worthy of being
shown outside Iraq," he said.
Frman Abdul-Rahman is an IWPR trainee journalist
www.iwpr.net
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