Voices From Iraq: After the War

Last year, a group of Connecticut high school students met their Iraqi peers at a Baghdad elite high school via live satellite videoconferencing. Two weeks later, the Bush administration declared war on Iraq. This program--from In the Mix, the award-winning PBS series--brings them together again a few weeks after major combat operations were declared over (a teen reporter accompanied the camera crew to Baghdad when this second video conference was set up). The results are absolutely gripping, with firsthand views of Iraqi life seen through the eyes of teens, all of whom are articulate, very passionate, and fluent in English. “This time,” they say, referring to the overthrow of Saddam Hussein's regime, “we are free to talk.” In the Q&A with their American counterparts, as well as in house tours and interviews conducted by the program's teen host before the conference, the Iraqi teens display an unmistakable attitude of hope and resilience that overcomes the fear and confusion of their contemporary situation. In a particularly candid sequence, Noordeen shares his disgust with politics and sadness at the destruction of his country (to which he feels a mixed loyalty) in a strained and confused voice. “Hope is the only thing,” he concludes, his voice suddenly clearing, and in a typical teenage-fashion change of subject asks, “so, do you wanna see the rest of the house?” No political sides are taken in the program, which presents the Iraqi teens without pity or melodrama--just as normal kids with hopes and dreams very similar to those of American youth. From the bullet holes in Ruba's living room curtains, to Omar's lively stories about befriending U.S. troops and then becoming their translator, the open emotion and raw honesty of these young people make this video utterly compelling, and a surefire discussion starter. Highly recommended. Aud: J, H, P. (E. Gieschen)