I JUST SAW A GREAT DOCUMENTARY!

[leanin_green]

It was a documentary entitled: "Battleground: 21 Days at the Empire's Edge."

It was shot in the perspective of several different Iraqis. A Shiite man who rose up to fight Sadaam after the '91 war. He was living in America for thirteen years after being helped to escape Iraq by American soldiers who found him along a roadside tortured by the Sadaam regime and left for dead. He had never told the family he'd left behind his whereabouts or if he was alive for fear that their lives would be in danger. He was returning to see how many were still alive.

When you see the reunions between him and his family members across Iraq you can't help but see the beauty and commonality that is the Iraqi people. This isn't a revelation for me but an affirmation about just how similar all cultures around the world really are. Their values and ways aren't dissimilar to ours, just different accoutrement's. I found myself wanting to know more about them. From their perspective and not the one that is fed to us. We need more journalism like this.

This is just a small part of the film, but, it that particular story within the story that moved me. There are many jewels and revelations about how things are over there still contained within the entire film. If you can see it, do. I saw it on Showtime. It's a don't miss, for sure.

[knowbody0]

1. i watched it last night

we have ravaged iraq. even the palm groves have been plowed down in search of "insurgents" it was the best documentary ive seen so far. the man who went back to iraq to find his family-each reunion was absolutely heart wrenching to watch.
all i can say is "SHAME SHAME SHAME ON US"
i recorded it and plan to share it.

give the kabob a chance!

[FreedomAngel82]

2. Where did you see the movie?

I'd love to see it. Was it on a website or Sundance or something?

[knowbody0]

3. showtime

i caught it quite by accident. it was filmed 6 months after the invasion, i imagine there is very little left by now of the once beautiful country

[leanin_green]

5. Wasn't that guy. . .

really intelligent? I really enjoyed listening to his ideas. I'm really finding a warm spot for Iraqis. That film really showed who they are.

We need a bumpersticker with that on it and send all the proceeds to help that guy somehow.

GIVE THE KABOB A CHANCE!

[knowbody0]

7. me too

the farming community in south iraq, lamenting on the destruction of the 150 year old trees. this documentary allowed us to see how loving and passionate these people are.

[dogonarug]

9. Ironic isn't it?

That the "Family values" proponents in this country have so distorted their own reality to such a degree that they cannot recognize that the Iraqi people are today, America's role models of our past. Excellent film!

[bvar22]

4. Do you remeber the outrage from the Republicans....

...when Michael Moore showed scenes of Iraqi children playing?
The Republicans (and some Democrats DLC) cannot face the fact that we are killing HUMAN BEINGS who love, who play, who laugh and pray, who have children and parents and families that they love. REAL People who have hopes and dreams, and want their children to have it better than they did. People who experience the joys and disappointments that ALL Human Beings know. They are not so very different from you and I and our families.

OVER 100,000 have been killed and many hundreds of thousands maimed for life...Men..Women..children...families...ALL so bush* could be a War President, and our Corporations could privatize the Iraqi assets.

We are making WAR on a people who didn't and couldn't threaten us!

Do you remember the outrage when Michael Moore showed this?????


What has happened to us that over 1/2 of America cheers this obscenity?
Do I HATE America???

NO!!!! I LOVE America too much to let this continue, and the perpetrators to go unpunished!

This outrage BELONGS to bush* and the Republicans, the professional Democrats who lack the spine to Speak OUT, and the RICH Owners of the Corporations who are making MILLIONS off of the suffering of the Iraqi Families!

There WILL BE an accounting!!!

Most of the people who support this WAR on the Iraqi People also claim to be Christians. As Christians, they believe that someday they will stand before their creator.
How will they justify this crime?

If you are a lurking Republican, how will you answer your Creator when HE asks,"Why did you do this to MY Children?"

[buzzard]

6. If you liked that then you should read Baghdad Burning an Iraqi woman's

diary(blog) since 2003, she does a nice job portraying daily life since the war began. It makes me cry most of the time but she writes very well. If she doesn't write for a long period of time I find myself worrying that something has happened to her. Let me know what you think if you read it. Sandy

http://riverbendblog.blogspot.com/2003_08_01_riverbendblog_archive.html
snip

"Sunday, August 17, 2003

Waking Up
Waking up anywhere in Iraq these days is a trial. It happens in one of two ways: either slowly, or with a jolt. The slow process works like this: you're hanging in a place on the edge of consciousness, mentally grabbing at the fading fragments of a dream... something creeps up around, all over you- like a fog. A warm heavy fog. It's the heat... 120 F on the cooler nights. Your eyes flutter open and they search the dark in dismay- the electricity has gone off. The ceiling fan is slowing down and you are now fully awake. Trying to sleep in the stifling heat is about as productive as trying to wish the ceiling fan into motion with your brain. Impossible.

The other way to wake up, is to be jolted into reality with the sound of a gun-shot, explosion or yelling. You sit up, horrified and panicked, any dream or nightmare shattered to oblivion. What can it be? A burglar? A gang of looters? An attack? A bomb? Or maybe it's just an American midnight raid?

- posted by river @ 8:02 PM

The Beginning...
So this is the beginning for me, I guess. I never thought I'd start my own weblog... All I could think, every time I wanted to start one was "but who will read it?" I guess I've got nothing to lose... but I'm warning you- expect a lot of complaining and ranting. I looked for a 'rantlog' but this is the best Google came up with.

A little bit about myself: I'm female, Iraqi and 24. I survived the war. That's all you need to know. It's all that matters these days anyway.

Riverbend"

[knowbody0]

8. riverbend rocks

she is very brave and far more intelligent than any one in this administration

[Pryderi]

10. Yes. I saw it too. Disturbing info about 120 tons of depleted uranium.

I agree. The part about the man looking for his family after 13 years was terrific.