VIDEO
Inside Iraq:
The Untold StoriesA film by Mike Shiley
(2004)
After seeing images of the Iraq war on the nightly news, I knew there was much more to the story than the mainstream
media was telling us. I decided to go to Iraq myself to meet the people and document what was going on first-hand. The media
only shows bombs and press conferences, the world deserves more.
- Mike Shiley
Armed with a video camera, a home-made press pass, and a single phone number written on a piece of paper, amateur filmmaker
Mike Shiley chronicles a 2 month journey inside Iraq to uncover the reality of life beyond the spin about the US and Iraqi
militaries and the Iraqi people.
83 minutes 3-part video,
click play to start each part
Part I
Part II
Part III
Inside Iraq: The Untold Stories
Synopsis
The war in Iraq has been showcased as both an example of American decisiveness and the catastrophic result of failed leadership.
But beyond the debate, what is the reality of life on the ground? In December of 2003 traveler Mike Shiley felt compelled
to find out for himself. Shiley, who is not a professionally trained journalist or filmmaker, managed to strike a deal with
a local ABC-TV station to bring back stories about the troops in Iraq. Armed with a digital video camera and a home-made press
pass, Mike Shiley chronicled a two month journey inside Iraq, interviewing American and Iraqi soldiers, talking to local citizens,
and putting himself in situations of great personal risk. The footage from Shiley's excursions throughout the Sunni Triangle,
the city of Baghdad, the northern Kurdish region and the Shiite-controlled south, put into deep personal context the stories
we hear about in the news. Rather than push a political point of view, INSIDE IRAQ: THE UNTOLD STORIES lets Shiley's camera
roll, catching a multitude of real-life moments that tell it like it is.
Guided by his own narration and interspersed with cuts to the studio interview, we are shown Iraq as we've never seen it
before, getting a raw look at what it's like to be a soldier and a civilian in Iraq today. No matter how you feel about the
war, INSIDE IRAQ: THE UNTOLD STORIES is bound to leave you examining your own beliefs about the U.S. military, the Iraqi people,
and our future in the middle east.
Sources:
video.google.com
www.insideiraqthemovie.com
See also the interview with Mike Shiley
