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Heavy Metal in Baghdad
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VICE Magazine co-founder Suroosh Alvi and VICE Films head Eddy Moretti embark on a gonzo journey to meet Iraq's only heavy metal band in a freewheeling documentary focusing on youth culture in war-torn Iraq. In the summer of 2005, shortly after Saddam Hussein's brutal rule came to an end, Iraqi heavy metal group Acrassicauda (named after an especially venomous breed of black scorpion) teamed with VICE Magazine to stage a sold out rock concert. Over a year later, VICE co-founder Alvi and filmmaker Moretti travel back to the Middle Eastern country to find out how the war has affected the band. What they find upon arriving for their reunion with Acrassicauda is especially disturbing. These are the images that the network news refuses to run - the story of an entire generation who risk their lives simply by standing in the open, and who are driven from their homeland by bombs and machinegun fire. In order to even practice, the band would have to risk their lives by exposing themselves to both Iraqi snipers and suspicious coalition forces. Then again, after your studio has been bombed into the ground what's the point in rehearsing anyway? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
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lmstanleylmstanley Heavy with guilt
by lmstanley in lmstanley Blog
liked it.
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"Watching Heavy Metal in Baghdad left me heavy with guilt over the Iraq war. It's not so much that this movie is anti-American in any way...but I think that for the most part, I feel guilty over the fact that I didn't have a true perspective how the war affects Iraqi civilians. This film shows you life in a post-Saddam Iraq where the citizens are caught between the Americans and the insurgency. With no where to go, this films travels the lives of heavy metal band members as they fight to make " [More]
seelyseely Bombs Over Baghdad: Heavy Metal ...
by seely in seely
liked it.
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"I thought I knew what to expect when I heard our office movie was going to be "Heavy Metal in Baghdad". I'll admit it--I'm suffering heavily from war-coverage burnout, and to sit through two hours of war and political propoganda did not hold any appeal. The film surprised me. It was largely non-political, and seemed intent on telling the story of Arracussidia, Baghdad's only " [More]
magrebimagrebi dont' change the channel
by magrebi in magrebi Blog
liked it.
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"I wish I could remember the names of the guys that make up Acrassicauda, given that I'm somewhat horrible with names I'm not even going to try. Eddy Moretti (got that name right) the director, sets out to make a documentary about a metal group in Baghdad, and in doing so he does a great job of showing the viewer the passion that these men have to play their music to the backdrop of complete chaos and devastating violence. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Metal music in a war zon " [More]
cspraguecsprague Heavy Metal in Baghdad
by csprague in Bloggity Blah Blah Blog
liked it.
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"Heavy Metal in Baghdad delivered an unexpectedly candid look inside the war zone and all the people who are caught in the middle of a conflict that has nothing to do with them. There are no sides in the war for them, just fear, paranoia, chaos, and death. Their lives are destroyed along with the society, culture, and neighborhoods in which they grew up. It's so hard to honestly take in the amount of hopelessness and contempt a lot of people wrestle with everyday. It's their music that keeps t " [More]
KarinaKarina Blogging Berlin 02/14/08
by Karina in Karina on SpoutBlog
loved it.
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"Jurgen Fauth has nothing but praise for Heavy Metal in Baghdad (we felt[More]
paulpaul FilmCouch #38
by paul in FilmCouch
"Movies are a great way to explore the risk we never took. INTO THE WILD opens tonight, Sean Penn shares the story of first reading the book from an interview in Telluride. We also look at THE MOSQUITO COAST (1986, Peter Weir), starring Harrison Ford, and what these films tell us about breaking from civilization and doing the unthinkable. Karina interviews the makers of [More]
 

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corvine
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