My Country, My Country
Produced for PBS seriesPOV, this Oscar-nominated documentary takes an up-close-and-personal look at the occupation of Iraq. WhileWar Tapesexplores the situation from the American standpoint,My Country, My Countrypresents the other side of the equation. And while fellow nominee James Longley (Iraq in Fragments) combines Sunni, Shi'a, and Kurdish perspectives, Laura Poitras (Flag Wars) sets her sights on one Sunni, Baghdad-based Dr. Riyadh. She also takes detours to check in with the US military, UN personnel, and Australian security contractors supervising the 2005 elections, either directly or indirectly (as one notes about the occupation, "It's not all bad, you can have some fun"). Dr. Riyadh, a physician and city council member, runs for a seat on the National Assembly in order to help rebuild his country. Poitras began shooting in 2004 and spent eight months with her protagonist, his wife, and their children. She captures a time of doubt and fear, as shells are constantly exploding in the background. Just as the Iraqi people are wary of the outsiders trying to restore democracy, there is only so much insiders, like Dr. Riyadh, can do. Elegantly shot by the director and set to a mournful score by Kadhum Al Sahir,My Country, My Countrymay be pessimistic about the prospects for present-day Iraq, but Poitras gives one decent man a voice. For that it remains an invaluable document of its time and place.--Kathleen C. Fennessy