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I watched "Voices of Iraq," which was
distributed by and through Netflix--
and recommended by Netflix. The Netflix
symbol was even in the corner of the menu!
It was released October 30, and the footage
covers the war into October.
The film is supposedly an indy production filmed
by 150 digital camcorders circulated through Iraq,
with ordinary Iraqis taking the footage. Sounds
like a very compelling grassroots project. It starts
out with a few critical comments on the
Americans and Abu Ghraib, and ends up with the
Iraqis as the happiest people on
earth since they have been "liberated."
The U.S. occupation forces have by then
completely disappeared from the film.
It was the slickest pro-occupation
propaganda piece I've ever seen;
it even took me in at first. But then
I figured who paid for the high-quality cameras?
(150 x $2000 = $300,000)
Why are many Iraqis speaking in English?
Why are they only supporting the interim
"government"? Why do they call
all opponents terrorists?
Why are so many speakers living
in comfortable elite homes? Why do
the filmmakers display U.S. headlines
critical of the war and then try to
disprove them? Who is the
guy off camera speaking in English?
How did the ordinary citizens film
top officials including the Iraqi "president"?
If they are just Iraqis taking home movies,
where did they get the insurgent
video footage and footage of Baathist
atrocities?
The project website is
http://www.VoicesOfIraq.com
It looks like some critics have been
wondering about and researching Army
contracts and PR firm
connections to the film:
http://cryptome.org/voi-who.htm
If you get this video through
Netflix, comment on what you thought--
many others have--and ASK QUESTIONS as
to Netflix's direct marketing role.
I'm sure this film was developed to prepare Americans
for the Iraqi P.R. election (see Edward
Herman's book on "Demonstration Elections"),
so we will hear more about it leading up
to January 30.
Dr. Zoltan Grossman
Assistant Professor of Geography
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
P.O. Box 4004
Eau Claire WI 54703
(715) 836-4471
grossmzc@uwec.edu
http://www.uwec.edu/grossmzc
http://www.uwec.edu/grossmzc/peace.html
Voices of Iraq