Saturday, May 13, 12:30 PM, Charles Theatre 3

Director: Laura Poitras

Cast: Dr. Riyadh al-Adhah

Country: USA
Year: 2006
Running Time: 90:00 minutes
Format: Beta SP

Dr. Riyadh al-Adhah is a Sunni, a father of six, and a medical doctor who runs a clinic in Baghdad. With considerable courage, he decides to be a candidate for parliament in the January 2005 Iraq elections and it is through his eyes that we get a glimpse of the Rubik’s Cube that is Iraq.

Given extraordinary access over the months leading up to the vote- we accompany Dr Riyadh to Abu Ghraib Prison, we see pep talks given to potential Iraqi voters, we watch private contractors from Australia strategize about providing security, we witness tense kidnapping negotiations- filmmaker Laura Poitras gives us a classic cinema verite view of Iraq at a pivotal moment. Working alone, doing her own cinematography and sound, Poitras’ intimate view of Iraq transcends the photo op stories that make up most of the news coverage from both sides. This is the story of real people caught in the middle of a seismic shift they didn’t seek or cause. The uncertain results are sure to affect millions of people far away from Dr. Riyadh’s neighborhood.

--Jed Dietz

Presented By: Laura Poitras

Laura Poitras’ first film, Flag Wars, won numerous awards at major film festivals, was nominated for an Emmy and Independent Spirit Award, and won the coveted Peabody Award. My Country, My Country has screened at the Berlin, SXSW and Full Frame film festivals, and was given its New York premiere as part of Lincoln Center and MoMA’s New Directors/New Films Series.