Warning: Adult Content – Follows Iraqi heavy metal band Acrassicauda from the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 to the present
HEAVY METAL IN BAGHDAD is a feature film documentary that follows the Iraqi heavy metal band Acrassicauda from the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 to the present day. Playing heavy metal in a Muslim country has always been a difficult (if not impossible) proposition but after Saddam’s regime was toppled, there was a brief moment for the band in which real freedom seemed possible. That hope was quickly dashed as their country fell into a bloody insurgency. From 2003-2006, Iraq disintegrated around them while Acrassicauda struggled to stay together and stay alive, always refusing to let their heavy metal dreams die. Their story echoes the unspoken hopes of an entire generation of young Iraqis.
Heavy Metal in Baghdad
Release Year: 2007
Duration: 84 min
Availability:
Worldwide
Related: Campus, International, Life & Culture, Music & Arts, Politics, Virgil Films & Entertainment
HEAVY METAL IN BAGHDAD is a feature film documentary that follows the Iraqi heavy metal band Acrassicauda from the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 to the present day. Playing heavy metal in a Muslim country has always been a difficult (if not impossible) proposition but after Saddam’s regime was toppled, there was a brief moment for the band in which real freedom seemed possible. That hope was quickly dashed as their country fell into a bloody insurgency. From 2003-2006, Iraq disintegrated around them while Acrassicauda struggled to stay together and stay alive, always refusing to let their heavy metal dreams die. Their story echoes the unspoken hopes of an entire generation of young Iraqis.
Director
Suroosh Alvi
Eddy Moretti
Producer
Suroosh Alvi
Monica Hampton
Spike Jonze
Eddy Moretti
Brian Orce
Shane Smith
Original Music
Acrassicauda
Cinematrography
Eddy Moretti
Film Editing
Bernardo Loyola
| User Reviews From |
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lmstanley wrote:
Watching Heavy Metal in Baghdad left me heavy with guilt over the Iraq war. It's not so much that this movie is anti-American in any way...but I think that for the most part, I feel guilty over the fact that I didn't have a true perspective how the war affects Iraqi civilians. This film shows you life in a post-Saddam Iraq where the citizens are caught between the Americans and the insurgency. With no where to go, this films travels the lives of heavy metal band members as they fight to make a l[...] more >
seely wrote:
I thought I knew what to expect when I heard our office movie was going to be "Heavy Metal in Baghdad". I'll admit it--I'm suffering heavily from war-coverage burnout, and to sit through two hours of war and political propoganda did not hold any appeal.
The film surprised me. It was largely non-political, and seemed intent on telling the story of Arracussidia, Baghdad's only heavy metal band to date. The film put a human face on the Iraqi civilians caught in the midst of war.&[...] more >
magrebi wrote:
I wish I could remember the names of the guys that make up Acrassicauda, given that I'm somewhat horrible with names I'm not even going to try. Eddy Moretti (got that name right) the director, sets out to make a documentary about a metal group in Baghdad, and in doing so he does a great job of showing the viewer the passion that these men have to play their music to the backdrop of complete chaos and devastating violence. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Metal music in a war zone? [...] more >
csprague wrote:
Heavy Metal in Baghdad delivered an unexpectedly candid look inside the war zone and all the people who are caught in the middle of a conflict that has nothing to do with them. There are no sides in the war for them, just fear, paranoia, chaos, and death. Their lives are destroyed along with the society, culture, and neighborhoods in which they grew up. It's so hard to honestly take in the amount of hopelessness and contempt a lot of people wrestle with everyday. It's their music that keeps them[...] more >
Karina wrote:
Jurgen Fauth has nothing but praise for Heavy Metal in Baghdad (we felt pretty much the same when we saw it in Toronto), the screening of which, Jurgen says, "was so oversold that I ended up in the front row, effectively watching a distorted fun house mirror version of Suroosh Alvi and Eddy Moretti's documentary."
"Most of the European critics came down pretty hard on Petri Kotwica's Black Ice, a film in competition from Finland," notes Filmbrain, "But I found this deliciously dark drama about [...] more >
Read more at spout.com
Posted 05/26/09 by boredwell
This doc tells a bitter-sweet story we should all hear. And see. Whether we like heavy metal or not. It’s both simple and extraordinary, warm-hearted and chilling, always mesmerizing. Acrassicauda is the band’s name ("Cauda" is a desert scorpion = “A crass Scorpion"). The four band member and friends are irrepressible. Their collective spirit, though beaten down by the cruelties of war, remains their greatest repository of hope against all odds. We get to hear from real people who live the war, one, as a band mate states, we can “turn off” from the luxury and peace of out American homes. This is a must see. I hope VIBE, the film’s producer/underwriter, will follow up in 2009/10! I love these people.
Posted 03/18/09 by MeetDannyWilson
These guys are un-friggin-believable! This band and this movie rock! Wow! Great great work! I don’t even like Metal - I kinda friggin hate it - but I love these guys. Wow! I seriously hope that these guys get nothing but happiness from here on out! What a FUBAR story. I heard about them on NPR yesterday. They are living in different places in the states now. Seriously, someone rich as hell needs to step up and spring for some plane tickets, and set em up with a big fat house, and a garage that they can practice in. If I had the money, I’d do it in a second! Good vibes… Good vibes… Good vibes…
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