The Dreams of Sparrows

The early 21st century will be remembered for the huge political fallout and implications of the war in Iraq. Filmmaker Hayder Mousa Daffer lived through the war, and saw his country irretrievably altered as coalition troops brought the reign of Saddam Hussein to an end.

Here, Daffer presents a documentary on those turbulent times, focusing on the restructuring of Iraq after Hussein had been defeated. Splitting his on-screen time by highlighting both the important contributions of many artists, filmmakers, and writers to the cultural legacy of the country, while also covering the war as it rages around the crew, Daffer offers a well-measured view of Iraq that is entertaining and educational.

But the events turn bleak when a member of the crew, Sa'ad Fakher, is killed during the making of the movie, leading Daffer to steer his cameras onto the battle for Falluja, while offering some musings on where he thinks his country is headed. An important, powerful document, THE DREAMS OF SPARROWS is the first release from IRAQeye, a collective set up by Iraqi and American filmmakers.



75 mins

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