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The Dreams of Sparrows
The majority of Americans will never realize the plight of Iraqi citizens as they struggle to lead normal lives under the shadow of American occupation. Now, thanks to Iraqi filmmaker Hayder Mousa Daffar and a team of contributing American and Iraqi filmmakers known as the "Iraqeye Group," this historic documentary explores the controversial occupation of Iraq through interviews with those who have experienced it firsthand. As interviews with Iraqi painters, writers, and filmmakers offer a new and unique perspective on the occupation, the filmmakers find themselves drawn further into their subject than they ever anticipated when producer Sa'ad Fahker is killed during the battle over Falluja. Subsequently turning the camera inward in an attempt to make sense of their close friend and co-worker's tragic death, the filmmakers find their own beliefs shaken to the core by the things they have seen and experienced over the course of the film's production.
| Release : | 2005 |
| Rating : | 7.1 |
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| Crew : | |
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| Genre : | Documentary |
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Reviews
Fantastic!
A very feeble attempt at affirmatie action
I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.
Even though it's been almost 4 years since this documentary was filmed, many parts of it can still be seen in Iraq today, the despair, the divided public opinion on the presence of the allied troops, the lack of electricity and gas/petrol, etc.This is the 1st Iraqi doco I've seen that was directed by an Iraqi, it was refreshing to see graduate students from the College of Fine Arts with the freedom to shoot films about the people and the situation around them, something which was not possible during Saddam's reign.Haydar does a great job in visiting a lot of places that we don't usually see in other docos about Iraq, or didn't make the news, like the mental institution, the writers' union, schools, a rundown shelter for orphans/abandoned children, a renowned Iraqi director, etc. I felt closer to Iraq and its people through this journey with Haydar than most docos dealing with the occupation.Kudos to everyone who made this possible, and may Saad Fahker and any human being who perished in this war rest in peace.
Despite it's amateurish look and feel, the director showed great intelligence in the choice of interviewees and scenes. The teenager with her Michael Jackson posters, the video shop with Britney Spears posters, the hapless 20-year-old marine. The film shows the tragedy of the situation in Iraq, as well as the hope and resilience human beings have.The film also does a very good job with breaking some stereotypes that Iraqis are being pushed into. It shows a vibrant and diverse society where you go to the writers union to drink a beer in peace with all the intellectuals and the political prisoners and it also shows how clueless the Americans are in dealing with Iraq.The film is unresolved and undecided -- accurately reflecting Iraq's situation. It also had glimmers of hope, but it was filmed two years ago, and things have gotten worse since.
Intriguing documentary thrusts the audience into post-war Iraq, only this time from the Iraqis' point of view. Iraqi director Haydar Mousa Daffar and his contributing filmmakers have brought us a balanced look at the devastation of war. Some subjects support the removal of Saddam Hussein despite personal loss; others subscribe to popular anti-war arguments, calling the effort an oil grab, among other accusations. Western viewers are bound to come away with similarly mixed conclusions. In some ways, things seem so much better in Iraq than the news coverage would suggest. Yet in other ways, the film shows a society where true democracy and unity seem like fairy tales."The Dreams of Sparrows" presents not only a fascinating look at war, but also at Iraqi society, which Westerners still know so little about. We meet school children, poets, artists, taxi drivers, intellectuals and everyday people. Iraq is often seen in uneducated Western circles as an assemblage of backwards people living in mud huts and worshiping in ancient mosques. As Daffar shows, it's not nearly that simple. In fact, you may be struck by how much alike Iraqis and Westerners are.On the down side (and it's not a very large down side), the documentary is at times disjointed, and its limited production budget (and, of course, limited access within the country) hinders it slightly. And with most of the film subtitled, it's sometimes a task to absorb all the words and important images simultaneously. You'll want to keep your finger on the pause button at all times.Overall, there's no denying that "The Dreams of Sparrows" is a piece of work as important as it is entertaining. You'll most certainly have to find it online, but it's well worth the investment of time and money.
The Dreams of Sparrows is a simple movie about people of modern day Iraq, by Iraqis for Americans. It doesn't adhere to a position or make a case for or against U.S. policy on Iraq. It shows, better than the evening news, what life is like and what Iraqis think about their current state of affairs, and American involvement in their country. We see their hopes and aspirations. It is very worthwhile watching. I recommend it.This film should be distributed in the United States. I found it through Netflix and a distributor I found through amazon.co.uk that will sell to buyers in the U.S.
