The story of how the US and its allies overthrew a despotic regime and made things much worse succeeded brilliantly by focusing on moving personal stories
Like all the best documentaries, Once Upon a Time in Iraq is just some people telling a story. Here they are dramatically lit, often no more than faces emerging from the darkness: the civilians, journalists and soldiers who had no option but to experience the war in Iraq first-hand. It was happening in front of them, to them. It’s the viewpoint that perspective – a slippery notion – too easily avoids.
At first we are not even certain who these people are, but that doesn’t make their stories any less powerful. Across five shattering instalments, Once Upon a Time in Iraq gradually reveals their former identities, peeling back layers: translators trying to survive; journalists trying to bear witness; soldiers who came to bestow freedom. There are no politicians offering global justifications or hindsight-tinged regrets here; participation is limited to folks with front-row seats. When the politicians do appear it’s in the comprehensive archive footage of the period, speaking the language of victory and freedom. None of what they have to say has aged well.
Continue reading…The story of how the US and its allies overthrew a despotic regime and made things much worse succeeded brilliantly by focusing on moving personal storiesLike all the best documentaries, Once Upon a Time in Iraq is just some people telling a story. Here they are dramatically lit, often no more than faces emerging from the darkness: the civilians, journalists and soldiers who had no option but to experience the war in Iraq first-hand. It was happening in front of them, to them. It’s the viewpoint that perspective – a slippery notion – too easily avoids.At first we are not even certain who these people are, but that doesn’t make their stories any less powerful. Across five shattering instalments, Once Upon a Time in Iraq gradually reveals their former identities, peeling back layers: translators trying to survive; journalists trying to bear witness; soldiers who came to bestow freedom. There are no politicians offering global justifications or hindsight-tinged regrets here; participation is limited to folks with front-row seats. When the politicians do appear it’s in the comprehensive archive footage of the period, speaking the language of victory and freedom. None of what they have to say has aged well. Continue reading…