Laura Poitras: My Country My Country
This review has been written by Georg Bocher, direction student at the Zelig Documentary film School in Bolzano:
The first two minutes leaves no doubt about the scope of this documentary. It is between the most private family life and the utterly official, namely the U.S. military administration in Iraq.
These aspects of life in Iraq today interwoven through the preparation of the upcoming first election take the audience on the personal journey of Dr. Riyadh who is medical doctor, Sunni candidate and a family father.
Slowly the viewer catches a glimpse on the dimensions and deep roots of the catastrophy in Iraq. The last word one comes in mind in this country – with no electricity and security – is democracy. Still everybody talks about it. At least about the strategic appearance of it. And this is where the film triumphs, because it is direct and intimate, it doesn’t settle for empty words, instead it shows human beings in situations of extraordinary force and culture clash:
Like when the U.S. Instructor is briefing the Iraqi policemen for the election day, saying : “ You [folks] have the front row of one of the best shows that’s gonna be in the world.” A policemen asks irritated: “Why do you say show? ”
The film is the end of an occupation in Iraq. A journey from dark kitchens to the helicopter cockpits.
USA, 2006, 90 mins.
