'The Journey': An Iraqi film in Iraqi cinema after 27 years
Iraqi cinemas are making a comeback to display Iraqi films commercially, starting with director Mohammed al-Daradji's psychological thriller "The Journey."
Based loosely on a real incident involving the intense psychological dichotomy of a potential suicide bomber, the film "The Journey" ("Al-Rihla") by Iraqi director Mohamed al-Daradji made its debut in Iraq on March 1 in six provinces and was screened at the same time in three cinemas in Baghdad.
Before its Baghdad screening, the film appeared at 15 international film festivals, the first being the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival in September. But it is the in-country, in-cinema showings that are most significant to many of the country's motion-picture fans.
The film is the first Iraqi film to be shown in Iraqi theaters in more than 25 years, since the 1991 uprisings. It was a joint production effort among Iraq, the United Kingdom, France and the Netherlands.
The Iraqi Independent Film Center, run by a group of young filmmakers, simultaneously launched a movement dubbed the “1 million viewers campaign." Daradji talks about reaching a million viewers, though he admits that is far-fetched.
