At its press launch in September, the Baghdad Film Festival looked as if it might herald a return to the glory days before the Iran-Iraq war. Over 300 films were promised, from 60 countries, with challenging strands focusing on female Arab directors and on human rights. Sadly, the reality proved to be very different, illutrating the crisis that has overtaken a once thriving industry.
Eventually screening just 100 films, the event suffered from a lack of government support, a shortage of sponsors and an ever-shrinking guest list. According to journalist Mohamad Ali Harissi, speeches were inaudible due to audience conversations and awards were produced from plastic carrier bags. Festival director Ammar al-Aradi has put the problems down to a lack of funds. Since the Us-led invasion of the country in 2003, Iraq's cinema-going tradition, already weakened by lack of state funding, has collapsed. For much of the last decade, Baghdad, once...
Eventually screening just 100 films, the event suffered from a lack of government support, a shortage of sponsors and an ever-shrinking guest list. According to journalist Mohamad Ali Harissi, speeches were inaudible due to audience conversations and awards were produced from plastic carrier bags. Festival director Ammar al-Aradi has put the problems down to a lack of funds. Since the Us-led invasion of the country in 2003, Iraq's cinema-going tradition, already weakened by lack of state funding, has collapsed. For much of the last decade, Baghdad, once...
- 10/8/2012
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
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