"Shoot the war" Regards d’Irakiens sur la guerre

In Iraq, while the country is waging a merciless fight against the Islamic State organization and once again threatens to descend into sectarian conflict, a young generation of filmmakers is emerging. They are between 20 and 30 years old, refuse religious labels and pursue audio-visual studies at the College of Fine Arts in Baghdad. After having suffered the full brunt of the American invasion and its disastrous repercussions: interfaith violence, car bombs, kidnappings, the emergence of fanaticism... these young Iraqis chose to arm themselves with a camera to express the instability of daily life and promote a message of peace.

To support this initiative and revitalize filmmaking in this conflict-torn region, Katia Jarjoura—a Lebanese-Canadian director with firsthand experience of Iraq—traveled to Baghdad in September 2015 to lead a short-film workshop for young Iraqi filmmakers. Over an intensive three-week period, around thirty participants succeeded in developing, shooting, and editing eight films—ranging from five to ten minutes in length—centered on the theme of war. For most of the participants, these projects marked their debut films. The production conditions were highly precarious, marked by constant power outages, oppressive heat, daily insecurity, and various logistical and technical challenges. Despite these circumstances, each film holds unique value as an insider’s perspective.

Design, development, and executive production by Katia Jarjoura

With the support of the Cultural Services of the French Embassy in Baghdad and the Bayeux War Correspondents Festival.

In partnership with the Baghdad International Film Festival and the Association for the Development of Cinema in Iraq

Co-produced by Arte and Seconde Vague Productions, in co-production with ARTE G.E.I.E.

Length : 8 shorts from 6 to 10 min