I Come from Iraq

At the height of the 2003 US military invasion of Iraq, the filmmaker visits her grandparents, Najiba and Hasan, who are now living in Toronto as refugees. As she spends several days with them in their small apartment, they share fragments and stories of a migratory life, while the camera bears witness to their longing for home, and the pain of separation.

Filmed and Edited by Nadia Shihab
Running time: 30 min
Languages: Turkman (Iraqi Turkish) and Arabic with English subtitles
Format: Digital Video and 16mm
Year: 2003

NOTES

- 16mm archival sourced from christian missionaries in northern Iraq in the 1940s-50s.
- Field recordings sourced from anti-war protests in Washington DC in 2003.

AWARDS

Betty Knowlin Prize for Excellence in Filmmaking, Cinematexas Festival (2003) for films that “arduously defend the beauty, integrity and social role of the moving image.”