Voices of Iraq

Infobox Film
name = Voices of Iraq


image_size =
caption = Theatrical release poster
director = "People of Iraq",
(Martin Kunert uncredited [http://www.booyastudios.com/ Booya Studios ] ] )
country = United States
Iraq
language = Arabic
English
Kurdish
budget =
gross =
preceded_by =
released = 2004
runtime = 80 min
followed_by =
website =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0430745

"Voices of Iraq" is a ground breaking 2004 documentary about Iraq, created by distributing cameras to the subjects of a film, thus enabling subjects to film themselves. [http://www.moviemaker.com/hop/vol4/06/digital.html MovieMaker Magazine ] ] To preserve its innovative filmmaking, "Voices of Iraq" was added to the permanent collection of Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Producer Eric Manes explained, "Without Iraqis as the directors, we would have seen Iraq and its people only through the filter of Western eyes. We certainly would not have had the access or the emotional intimacy that was captured in the film."

Euphrates, an Iraqi Anglo hip-hop group, scored the soundtrack. The film was released theatrically in the United States and internationally and created a new genre of filmmaking.

Critics' responses

*The "San Francisco Chronicle" wrote, "'Voices of Iraq' is a must-see for anyone still coming to terms with the chaos in Iraq." [ [http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/10/29/DDGRB9HIP91.DTL#voice FILM CLIPS / Also opening today ] ]
*The "Los Angeles Times", "By turns heartbreaking, amusing and disturbing, the film features people from different regions, economic classes and religions, recounting stories that are sometimes bleak, sometimes encouraging, but always compelling" [ [http://www.latimes.com Los Angeles Times - News from Los Angeles, California and the World ] ]
*"Variety", "In a season of political documentaries that take one side or the other on the war in Iraq, a film has emerged whose purpose is not to address American politics but the Iraqi people." [ [http://www.variety.com Entertainment news, movie reviews, awards, festivals, celebrity photos, industry events - Variety ] ]
*"Hollywood Reporter", "Perhaps the sharpest commentary on years of suffering, hope and the wages of war are the children in front of and behind the cameras." [http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6653636]
*"The Wall Street Journal", "At a time when shrill political diatribes dominate the documentary scene, along comes an authentic work that dares to let the subject speak for itself – literally." [ [http://webreprints.djreprints.com/1090351427713.html You have reached Dow Jones WebReprint Service ] ]
*"Dallas Morning News", "An extraordinary, up-to-the-minute tapestry that ranges all over this country of 25 million people and carries the force of revelation." [ [http://www.dallasnews.com/ Dallas Morning News | News for Dallas, Texas ] ]
*"The Washington Times": "'Voices of Iraq' is neither partisan nor conservative in any meaningful sense of the word. However, as an attempt to get behind the filter of the main stream media – as a picture of reality unmediated by editorial commentary – it’s a more potent negation of Michael Moore, Craig Unger, Noam Chomsky and Co." [ [http://www.washingtontimes.com/entertainment/20041022-120819-4073r.htm Washington Times - Picture politics ] ]
*"The New York Times": "If this film cannot claim to represent the political "truth" about the war - what film could?" [ [http://movies2.nytimes.com/2004/10/29/movies/29voic.html The New York Times > Movies > Movie Review | 'Voices of Iraq': For the Iraqis Interviewed, Daily Life Is Better Today ] ]
*"Variety": "As a true or accurate portrait of the real Iraq, however, pic pales in comparison to various in-depth U.S. and European reports, and to Bahman Ghobadi's brilliant new drama on wartime Kurdish refugees, "Turtles Can Fly."" [ [http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117925398?categoryid=31&cs=1 Voices Of Iraq Review - Film Reviews-New U.S. Release, Entertainment - Variety ] ]
*"The Village Voice": "any film that credits itself as "filmed and directed by the people of Iraq" deserves to be regarded with skepticism." [ [http://www.villagevoice.com/film/0443,land,57872,20.html village voice > film > Voices of Iraq by Joshua Land ] ]
*"Detroit Free Press": "a revealing documentary that depicts the day-to-day hopes and grief of people. Mothers talk about sons gone missing. Interviews are interrupted by bomb explosions. Kids practice in a rock band after listening to black-market Metallica CDs. The movie is disturbing, sometimes funny, and also timely.... Maybe my skepticism comes with the timing- the movie arrives just days before the presidential election." [ [http://ae.freep.com/entertainment/ui/michigan/movie.html?id=177248&reviewId=16532 Movie: Voices of Iraq ] ]

Making of the film

"Movie Maker Magazine" asked the producers, "Voices of Iraq is truly a groundbreaking film—both in terms of its content and the process behind its production. What was your main mission in creating this film?" Eric Manes responded, "Our goal was simply to give the Iraqi people a voice. For years we had heard only the American media’s version of what Iraq and its people were like. We decided that since Iraq was such a major issue in the U.S., it was time to hear their story first-hand. Iraqis are a wonderfully diverse group of people who have been silenced for over 24 years, living in fear of Saddam Hussein and his regime. We realized we could finally give Iraqis a venue to freely share their lives, hopes and dreams with the rest of the world now that he was no longer in complete control of the country." When questioned on the film's budget, Martin Kunert said, "We used single chip, GR-D30U JVC cameras, which you can buy used on the net for around $230." "Our budget came out to around $500,000. With inexpensive cameras and editing stations, the greatest expense was our post-production staff: translators and assistant editors. Second to that, the 35 mm blow-up."

Distribution

In the fall of 2004, Magnolia Films distributed Voices of Iraq theatrically in the United States. It is now available on DVD.

In 2005, Voices of Iraq screened as part of the Directors Guild of America "Filmmaking and War" series and screened in international films festivals at Locarno, Edinburgh, Melbourne, South Korea and the Philippines. After which, it entered in theatrically distribution internationally. [http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117917154?categoryid=19&cs=1 Becker giving life to 'Voices' docu - Entertainment News, International News, Media - Variety ] ]

Reportedly, the film spread across Iraq as a popular bootleg.

Film credits

Made by Booya Studios. Filmed and Directed by the People of Iraq (and Martin Kunert, uncredited). Produced by Eric Manes, Martin Kunert, Archie Drury. Edited by Robin Russell, Martin Kunert, Stephan Mark. Distributed theatrically in the US by Magnolia Pictures, [ [http://www.voicesofiraq.com/pdfs/press_release_10192004.pdf Welcome to VOICESOFIRAQ.COM ] ] and overseas by Becker Film International.

The Voices of Iraq soundtrack was produced and performed by Euphrates, an Iraqi Anglo hip hop group. (see The Narcicyst)

ee also

* History of Film
* Documentary Film
* "MTV's Fear"
* Martin Kunert
* Eric Manes
* Acrassicauda

References

External links

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* [http://www.Euphrates.ca/ Euphrates]
* [http://www.booyastudios.com/ Booya Studios]
* [http://www.martinkunert.com/ Martin Kunert homepage]