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Iraqi Short Films
Rated 16+
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Abraham
Ali Kareem, 8 minutes, drama, Arabic with English subtitles, 2017.
Set against the backdrop of ISIS’ imposition of the “jizya” or tax on non-Muslims in its territories, a Christian family devises a plan to protect its only daughter. However, their “perfect” solution might end up having more tragic consequences than intended.
The film won many awards including the Grand Jury Prize – Peoples and Religions at Terni Film Festival 2017 in Italy, as well as Best Short Film at the Medina del Campo Film Festival 2018 in Spain, the Festival Djerissa 2018 in Tunisia.
Trailer
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Once Upon a Time in Kurdistan
Zhino Hadi, 10 minutes, drama, Kurdish with English subtitles, 2019.
Dunia is a 17-year-old girl. After she was raped by her uncle, she seeks help in one of the shelters in KRI and secretly plans to have an abortion.
The film won the Golden Award for Best National Short Film at the Sulaimani International Film Festival in 2019.
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Ido
Saman Mustefa, 13 min • Comedy, Horror, Fantasy, Kurdish with English subtitles, 2021.
A Yezidi teenager who lives in a refugees’ camp, helps his family by selling sheep milk, but when his main customer is no longer in service, he must struggle to find other ways to sell his product.
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Impromptu
Yasir Kareem, 18 min, Comedy/Horror/Fantasy, English, 2017.
Lewis, a sunken-eyed composer, crumples unfinished music sheets in desperation. Through his migraine, he recognizes a familiar music coming from across the street. A megaphone with a broken record is guarded by Mary Ann, a quirky old lady who offers to help him if he stays for a tea party. As his missing accords start to materialize in the room, he realizes he has been trapped, and the only way out of the rabbit hole is at the last sip of the teacup.
Trailer
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Black Land
Zainab Faidhi, 3 minutes, animation/drama, silent, 2015.
A fairy tale animation, with a metaphorical story of the rape of a homeland. The
beautiful woman representing Baghdad, who has lost her children and soul to the wars
and destruction. The woman attempts to find an answer for her future but revisits the
past, told through coffee reading – a traditional fortune-telling method in the Middle
East.
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Transit
Baqer Al-Rubaie, 16 minutes, war-thriller, Arabic with English and French subtitles, 2023.
Yacoub works in the statistics department of a hospital. He answers calls from families who are asking about missing persons during the war. Occasionally, he gets resentful about a telephone conversation that raises his suspicion and anxiety.
Trailer
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