Coming to theatres today, Friday, November 27: IRAQI ODYSSEY
Samir’s chronicle of the Iraqi diaspora through his middle-class family’s example made its debut at Toronto last year. It went on to screen at Abu Dhabi, Berlin, Zurich, Cairo, and New Zealand, among others. It is Switzerland’s entry for the Best Foreign Language Film in the Academy Awards.
Over the course of nearly three hours, the director shares the story of his extended family, who have left their native Iraq to take up residence all over the world. While Samir’s personal, and sometimes plodding, narration, namechecks dozens of family members, he largely focuses on five to tell the story of an upper middle class clan, said to be directly descended from Muhammad, who have found their lives upended by wars, regime changes, and politics. It’s an overly ambitious project, functioning not only as a personal family tale, but as a primer on modern Iraqi history, aided greatly by a selection of articulate, camera-friendly subjects, though the unfortunate use of English-language dubbing is distracting. Beyond its running time, the project’s greatest drawback is its frankly dull visual approach, positioning interviewees against black backgrounds with occasional, cheap-looking graphics popping up – presented in 3D at festivals, though it seems the theatrical release may be bypassing that gimmick. Still, the film somehow remains surprisingly engaging despite this, offering an insightful, nuanced look at modern Middle Eastern history.
what (not) to doc 