Heavy Metal in Baghdad
Suroosh Alvi & Eddy Moretti:
Heavy Metal in Baghdad (USA, 2007)
84 min. - English, Arabic
Heavy Metal in Baghdad is a documentary of musical freedom under extreme repression. It is about Acrassicauda, the only Iraqi heavy metal group that had to end their career under mortal danger in 2006. Playing heavy metal has been generally difficult in Muslim countries, but after the reign of Saddam Hussein came to an end, the existence of Acrassicauda became virtually impossible. Under the dictatorship it was still possible to play gigs as long as they remembered to praise the leader in the end. Behind the closed venue doors, the audience had the courage to wear their Iron Maiden shorts and even to mosh – even if it looked a bit like the Jewish prayer. After Saddam’s rule collapsed, the long-haired heavy metal men became common prey. The religious fundamentalists accused the musicians of Satanism and organising gigs became impossible. Finally the life-threatening situation forces the members of Acrassicauda to flee to Syria where attitudes are more liberal.
Suroosh Alvi and Eddy Moretti defied death when shooting Heavy Metal in Baghdad. The result is a stunning film about Iraq, politics and the freedom to play heavy metal. The praised documentary has been a success at numerous international film festivals. It is touching, funny and thought-provoking. Through the story of Acrassicauda, the documentary portrays the dreams of an entire oppressed generation, dreams that may be small but all the more important. The human rights include playing heavy!
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EDDY MORETTI
University of Torontosta valmistunut ja New Yorkissa tohtoriväitöstään valmisteleva Eddy Moretti on työskennellyt VICE Films –yhtiössä vuodesta 2000. Heavy Metal in Baghdad on useiden VICE:n ideoiden taustalta löytyvän Morettin ensimmäinen pitkä dokumenttielokuva.
SUROOSH ALVI
Suroosh Alvi was born in Toronto and studied Philosophy at Montreal’s
McGill University. Halfway through his Master’s in Psychology at the University of Toronto, Suroosh returned to Montreal and co-founded VICE Magazine Publishing. Since then, the company has grown into one of the world’s most influential independent media sources with distribution in 22 countries. Additionally, VICE has diversified into book publishing, television, feature films, and music. Suroosh is the co-author of The VICE Guide to Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll, is the head of VICE Records, and is a producer for VBS.TV. He has traveled to Pakistan,
Afghanistan, the West Bank, Gaza, Iraq and Beirut, corresponding and
producing documentaries. Heavy Metal in Baghdad is Suroosh’s feature
film directorial debut.
