Those of you that are concerned with the Middle East should see The Dreams of Sparrows, the first documentary film by an Iraqi filmmaker to be made in post-Saddam Iraq. I had the opportunity to work on this film, and I think it will be of interest to many JewSchool readers.

The Dreams of Sparrows follows first time Iraqi director Hayder Mousa Daffar and his team of contributing directors as they share their vision of life in Baghdad, post war, pre-reconstruction and mid-chaos. The film attempts to reconcile the conflicting points of view among Iraqis regarding the war, Saddam Hussein and the occupation.

Some recent press includes a Q&A with the director in Newsweek (on newsstands tomorrow), an interview and preview that aired as part of BBC’s “The World” program on NPR, and a review on Filmthreat which calls it “a frightening, eye-opening kick in the butt” and awards it 4 stars out of 5.
If you’d like to understand the holy mess that is post-war Iraq, the hope and the fear that pervades daily life there, you can order your copy of The Dreams of Sparrows on DVD today.
On a personal note, I must add that composing the music for this film was at once an arduous and inspiring task; a true labor of love. It’s not often that a composer gets to work on a project of such significance, and I feel that the original score is some of my best work to date. Feel free to listen to a sample from the score or buy the soundtrack CD.
For once this isn’t about left vs. right or religious vs. secular. It goes without saying that the situation in Iraq carries tremendous importance to both Israel and America in the future. If you want to understand the complexities of that society, you need to see this movie.