ISIS, Tomorrow: The Lost Souls of Mosul

The terrorist group ISIS may have lost virtually all of the territory in Syria and Iraq that made up its so-called caliphate, but this documentary by filmmakers Francesca Mannocchi and Alessio Romenzi makes clear that its legacy of hatred lives on in the youth of the Iraqi city of Mosul, which was under ISIS control for three years before its liberation by coalition forces in 2017. The film offers sobering footage of the material devastation caused by years of warfare, but its focus is on the psychological impact on the boys of the city. Several wistfully recall the pre-war years, and are still tormented by later experiences. Some are the children of ISIS opponents, who witnessed the torture and execution of their fathers, brothers, and other relatives, and they harbor an abiding hatred of the oppressors. Others were indoctrinated in jihadist ideology and trained in the ways of war by their ISIS fathers, becoming robotic child fighters and participating gleefully in the horrors that the terrorists perpetrated. This latter group is now treated as pariahs, living under virtual house arrest and attacked if they venture outside their squalid homes. Interviews with mothers and wives reinforce the overwhelming sense of loss that permeates the entire population, but what comes through most clearly is the profound hatred that lingers on both sides, inevitably leading one to conclude that it is only a matter of time before it explodes in another spasm of violence. A harrowing and deeply disturbing film, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)