On what seems to be one of the most talked about docs in Toronto, HEAVY METAL IN BAGHDAD...
Mike Plante, writing at Filmmaker Magazine Blog:
"The doc follows the Iraqi metal band Acrassicauda as they try not only to survive in the war torn city but to practice and eventually get gigs. Directors Alvi and Moretti (of Vice magazine and their online film channel VBS.tv) give a brave and unique look into the Iraqi situation. Proudly lo-fi, and all the stronger for it, the film shows how totally fucked the band is, stuck in a homeland that doesn’t really exist, where you can live 15 minutes away from your best friend yet go six months without seeing them because you could get killed outside of your home."
Karina Longworth, raves at the SpoutBlog:
"I don’t care how tired of Iraq documentaries you think you are–you need to see Heavy Metal in Baghdad. ..It’s the first piece of media I’ve seen that potentially has the power to break through “Iraq fatigue” and actually get American kids to care about the decimation of Iraq and the ensuing refugee crisis."
Despite Karina's noting of the film's wide appeal, Variety checks in on the buzz and discovers - SURPRISE! - nervous distributors:
"Doc "Heavy Metal in Baghdad" drew praise from several buyers, but one asked the salient question, "Haven't there already been enough films about this one subject?""
Yes, because I'm practically drowning in all the films about heavy metal bands (or youth culture generally) in Iraq.
Torontoist has an interview with co-director Suroosh Alvi.
Cheryl Eddy of the San Francisco Bay Guardian writes:
"It's got a little too much filmmaker presence for me (voice-over, appearing on-camera, and so on), but it's hard not to love any film that delivers a political message for the kiddies snugly wrapped in a burrito of heavy-metal appreciation (with some intimate glimpses at post-Saddam Iraq, where the sounds of machine-gun fire are just part of the urban landscape)."
Russ Fischer at CHUD:
"It's not a great film, but it is a very good one. There's a lot of time spent repeating the idea of being restricted while on the ground in Iraq, but when the film opened up to parallels of the repression of heavy metal and the perspective of the Iraqui refugee, it really strikes a nerve. The conclusion is particularly affecting and will be unforgettable for many people who see it."
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