Forget Baghdad

A filmic reflection about the stereotypes of “Jew” and “Arab” through onehundred years of film, contrasted with the history of Jewish communists from Iraq. The protagonists are Shimon Ballas, a writer and professor of Arabic studies in Tel Aviv and Paris; the best-selling Israeli author Sami Michael from Haifa; Moshe Houri, a former dealer in real estate; writer Samir Naqqash who only publishes in the Arabic language and Ella Shohat, a Professor of Film and Cultural Studies in New York who has written a standard text on the Israeli film industry.

"Timely and thought-provoking, if a bit rambling, "Forget Baghdad" takes a painfully ironic look at five Arab Jews caught up in a violent cultural identity clash. It casts a cold light on racial intolerance in Iraq, where four of the film's subjects were born, and Israel, where they now live. Screened in Locarno's Critics Week with an English voiceover and subtitles, this eye-opening doc is sure to provoke discussion at specialized venues, colleges and TV stations searching for topical material."
Deborah Young, Variety