AshUnow
This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
Jauhara Al Kafirah
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.
Chris_Docker
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.
viglen
I am personally sick of watching the anti-iraqi documentaries that seem to be coming out in their hundreds lately. Voices of iraq was a breath of fresh air in what is a bad time for my country. This movie represents the iraqi population like you have never seen them before, they may not agree with what many think iraqi's think of the Americans. The thing about Voices of iraq is that its Truthful and sincere in its cause in how it delivers the point.I think every single person interested in iraq should watch this movie and hear the other point of view. The other point of view that never gets heard. The other point of view that voted in their millions on the 30th of January. The silent majority! ASH ASH EL IRAQ !!
dblake616
I wonder how many of the people here calling this film propaganda believe Farenheit 911 is gospel? Some of you seem to be willing to deny that people can possibly be happy now that Saddam is gone because the media (who by the way are here in the US and not in Iraq) tell you they aren't. You say that we shouldn't have gone to Iraq because we had no good reason to do so. Mass graves, murder, and rape were our only reason for going into the Balkans, yet there was no outcry from the left. I guess fiction and fact are in the eyes of the beholder. If it makes your position look good, it's fact. If it makes your opposition look good, it's propaganda.
