In 2004 Mohamed travelled back to his native Baghdad in an attempt to make a feature film, resulting in Ahlaam (dreams), which received critical reviews, see below:
"...a remarkable achievement" Empire
"...honest and brave..." Time Out
This remarkable debut film plunges the viewer into the madness of occupied Baghdad circa 2003. Two inmates from a mental institution suddenly find themselves out in the streets, negotiating local gangs, American soldiers, ruined buildings and falling bombs. An intense, vivid experience both on and off-screen, as the director and his crew were abducted and interrogated by both sides during the shooting of the film.
A documentary about his struggle to get the film made arrived a little later under the provisional title War, Love God and Madness. Feedback from the festival circuit encouraged Human Film to re-edit the film and make it altogether a much tighter package. Currently under the working title Welcome to Baghdad, they hope to have an edit ready fairly soon and we plan to do a screening at Frontline with Mohamed towards the middle or March.
The momentum generated from these films have allowed them to start work on Mohamed's next film, Son of Babylon - keep your ears pinned to the ground, there should be a trailer coming soon...
What do you think?