Operation Filmmaker Clip

[shroomingnewman]

i see this so-called documentary as nothing more than a social experiment behind a camera.  schrieber plucks some iraqi film student, of whom he knows nothing about, and turns out to be very immature, to essentially be a go-for for his movie. ms. davenport concocts, in my opinion, some bullshit parallel to the iraq war to justify this liberal paternalistic wet-dream of a documentary. its very telling the protaganist's name isn't even mentioned in the description.

[brucelee9941]

Never trust a Iraqi Arab they are worse then snakes they are savages that bomb children go north to Kurdistan no bombs or savages

[Celizamite]

I saw this film/documentery on SBS in Australia and it is brilliant ! Unscripted and unpredictable , i believe that this film whilst it covers many situations from war and oppression to being just about the human spirit and freedom, in more ways than one. 5 ***** stars.

[tattoconga]

I saw this film on some tv channel and I totally hated this guy. Charity or not, he was given a fucking chance, and he blew it up!. He is a total moron. They could have chose people from eastern asia, africa or latinamerica as well or even from the middle east, but someone who would work hard and use the oportunity he was given!

[tattoconga]

@tattoconga I mean I didn't really hate him as a person, I just disliked his attitude a lot!

[temie08]

This person been given chancessss of life time and he fucked it up many times. Until he understands he is no body and stop whining about everything he is not going to succeed. The producers could tell which direction it was going in the middle, but as long as they get reaction (money) from people they don’t care about him. If they wanted someone with veryyy fucked up back ground and happy ending, they could have switched to the African roommate. Or is he to black to be on their show?

[petergentry]

Helping someone so you can make a documentary about it, is not charity. Maybe I'll go to the food bank and hand out steak and potatoes, but only to the ones who agree to do as I suggest, tell me their life story -- especially the traumatic parts, and of course let me film it so I can get awards, money, and conduct my own social experiment. Things with strings attached to them which fulfill side agendas, are not charitable acts.

[InkaPeru]

that arab is just lazy!

[CONTRAVIDAA]

if im muthana i get a gun n shut all these white guys....lets face it why people call those white people americans....Americans means all peple from allover the America continent....good movies is everywhere nt ony from usa.... FUCK USA, FUCK MACDONALS, FUCK BUSH, FUCK ANGELINA, FUCK TERMINATOR.

[icemachine79]

@CONTRAVIDAA Humuma! Your attitude is just as bad.

[ItsDanielSun]

I don't know what to make of this guy. He came across to be a bit of an asshole when he turned on the documentary.

Did he ever give that tape back?

[fuzzfilm]

I think people should watch this film more closely. One poster said that he had a personality disorder and was ungratfull. This poor kid who is a victim of war as is the rest of his country. He with out a doubt has PTSD and is thrown into an completely alien situation and suddenly has to survive in a world (or worlds) he knows nothing about. Leiv should have found another way to alleviate his guilt and left the poor kid alone as we all should leave that whole country alone.

[spareaxe]

I agree totally, I saw people trying to get a quick headline with the situation and couldn't cope with the realities of where he came from. It didn't go the hollywood way with him. Thank god.

[fuzzfilm]

Imagine that you are very young, some very professional and experienced Iraqi filmmakers plucked you up from your comfy surroundings and plopped you on a set in Bagdad (or again Prauge for that matter) and you couldn't return home. Let's see how any of us would do. He did the best that he knew how to do and I'm sorry to you all that he wasn't able to capitalize on the oppertunity he was given. Let's see how you do.

[me0000ww]

I watched this tonight and i recognized this guy from true life also. He had a good opportunity to live his dream but i don't think he took it as serious as he should have. I think it was the shock of cultures, being outside his comfort zone and always being reminded of the situation of Iraq that confused him. I think he didn't know how to handle the situation and that he has issues that he hasn't dealt with. i wish for him to heal and live his dream.

[budha1300]

What really makes this picture note worthy (other than the editing) is Muthana's performance. I wish you could nominate documentary subjects for acting awards because they play for the camera as hard as any professional and they don't have the luxury of retakes. I just hope that after they stopped recording they managed to work something out that didn't really ruin anybody completely.

[budha1300]

The concept of this project is not that novel. I think if you take any outsider and throw them into the mix of any occult group (e.g.Hollywood) and keep feeding them situations you're going to get something you can edit into a feature.

[budha1300]

I saw this on PBS last night. It was very entertaining and the content was very current. As with all films though, the dilemma is played up and perpetuated by the production (through cash and support from the crew). You have to give credit to Muthana for being such a good "actor". He was so good that he sent in that horrible audition tape to that acting school in NY. The real achievement in this film is the chemistry between davenport and her subject (which isn't a new thing).

[ccazares3]

Nina did nothing wrong, Muthana treated this opportunity like it was a hand out, like he won a lottery and was going to be awarded millions of dollars. Poor kid, I really feel for his family and the whole mess in Iraq, but the problem with the film was the picture it displayed of Muthana. He came off as extremly lazy and confused.

Nina did an amazing job and deserves all the praise for such an impactinf film. I hope Muthana can get his shit together and get a job.

[thepethamstar]

I thought her behaviour was impeccable. After watching the film I had the urge to research her and comment on the documentary. It amazed me how liberal American guilt was bent to get a fuckwit, im sorry he was, onto proper film sets and into film college. I loved the text comment at the end. "Exit strategy".

I feel sorry for real talented young Iraqis.

[jamaicanfilyfe]

Just like The Us tried to 'HELP' Iraq hmmmm.....

[jamaicanfilyfe]

This guy is clearly not of sound mind. He exhibits all the symptoms of a borderline personality disorder. He is totally absorbed by himself in every way However the fact that everyone has missed is that the film industry attracts people like him anyway. He even admits to being a 'Dreamer' himself. To a point I feel he is an ungrateful person but at the same time I can see right through the people who decided to hire him patronising do-gooders trying to gain self satisfaction by helping him ctd.

[mrlowdangle]

Did you even watch the same film as me??

Sure,the american do-gooders were nieve,but Muthana was a dishonest,selfish,workshy freeloader ..i know who i think came off worse in the film anyway.

I cant see what your problem with Nina Davenport is either? its not like she planned any of it..and at least she had the balls to keep at it when he started to show his true colours and they all realized their mistake,giving us this uncomfortable but fascinating docufilm.

[lilyrosetta]

What a terrible situation they put this boy in. Things are crazy in Iraq. People are getting killed over a lot less over there. They kill the Iraqi translators who work with the US troops. It would be dangerous for him to return. And what's going to happen to his family left behind?

[mrlowdangle]

I think you need to see the film,if you havnt already?

this guy is a gaping great a'hole.there are so many people in iraq and everywhere else who would love to have so many opportunities handed to them.. you'd really need to watch it to see just how bad this guys attitude to life,work and other people is,he's the polar opposite of what the nieve american do gooders expected..such a fascinating docu-film anyway!

[lilyrosetta]

well i haven't watched it. i wish i had. looks interesting. if it was just the boy not giving a damn and making things difficult for them and for himself, okay. but i just hope this wasn't misguided plastic charity without sufficient insight or appreciation of the real issues and the various factors that affect this boy and his situation. some people think they watch cnn and read a few magazines and they have a comprehensive understanding of an individual and their specific problems.

[lilyrosetta]

i totally take back my comment. i managed to get a copy of this film and watched it this evening. boy oh boy. the fault really didn't lie with them at all. they really did seem to be bending over backwards for him and he was jerking them, and himself, around. he was kind of impossible. they were way too patient with him. he messed up.

[mrlowdangle]

no problem,all your points were valid too.

luckily for him he's still young,so hopefully he will see the error of his ways as he gets older.plus i reckon being from recent iraq is a fair excuse for being bit of a mess.

and maybe the others involved will be a bit less nieve about strangers from another culture next time.

I hope you (very uncomfortably!) enjoyed it as much as me anyway:)

[lidoz]

tennis players have been killed in 2004 just for wearing shorts, now you are telling me an iraqi who worked on a jewsh related movie to survive going back...? i say very unlikely~

I wish all the luck to the boy and wish that they wouldnt just throw him into his death

[wizkidbrown]

I saw this at Stockholm filmfestival, its an really awesome movie in every way, dont miss it!

[Hiphopz4lyfe]

I'm iraqi and i would feel bad if this guy was sent back...in the doco they showed him drinking..back in iraq he would probably get beheaded if the faggot terrorists catch him.

but on sbs news they said he is waiter in London in a restaurant

[128bridge]

Watched the doco on SBS in Australia last night.

Completely different from what my wife and I expected, we got sucked in.

Roller coaster of emotions, we shouted at the box in anger and frustration. At Muthana, at Nina, at US Producers. Then sad and quiet at the state of Iraq - you can't blame him for not wanting to go home. Maybe he was never a film maker, at least he wasn't getting killed. Jealous at his chance, Producers needed to do more for him initially, guide him. Where is he now?

[mrlowdangle]

In the UK,unfortunately :)

[tobalsomo]

This is a not to be missed doco: as a piece of film making it is brilliantly crafted.The kid had a dream, and the rat cunning of someone twice his age. You can't cheer for him, but you can almost admire his guts. The Director's the hero.

[Jack671975]

great doco. if you look beyond race and just look at the way people treat,respond,react, interact with situations that life hands to us.Liev & Peter thought they where doing a good thing by helping muthana. Nina thought the same, Muthana just didnt know anything about everything to do with the western way of thinking. But they all thought they were doing good and felt good about doing it. until things turn out bad. must see american foreign policy and standard arab thinking on a personal level.

[nowendoc7]

test 2

[nowendoc7]

test

[sarah0220]

when is this movie dropping here in the states? i live in NYC if you are going to have it in limited release.

[FirstRunIcarus]

It is NOW PLAYING at the IFC Center on Sixth Avenue! It will be there until 6/17 so be sure to head over there soon. There's a complete list of playdates at the First Run / Icarus Films website.

[sarah0220]

good looking out..i will peep it on tuesday.

[Chindro2828]

I had the impression that those Americans seemed condescending. They made themselves look like idiots on camera. What the hell did they expect from him? No one even gave him a guiding hand. They all just seemed to get upset that he didn't try hard enough, ie bringing them coffee, come the fuck on. Someone even got upset and told Muthana that it cost a lot to bring and accomodate him in Prague. On a Mcdonalds salary yes it would! Hope the producers learned something too....bunch of donkeys.

[scrynne]

What the hell did they expect from him? How about that he DO HIS JOB?

[cegrace15]

knowing where he came from.. maybe you should think that he really wanted to enjoy life at least for that moment..then just do his job.. maybe you would do the same in his situation.. this sounds like George Bush policy.. we liberated you..YES many of you die.. for this film makers is.. this kid had the opportunity of his life... but wait wait.. you have to go back to Iraq... give me a break..

[scrynne]

In his situation I would DO MY JOB.

[impulsewithMiggyVee]

Good Luck with the Filmmaking guys...Kudos

-Miggy Vee

[ADONRADON]

öde

[Nocturne06]

Where can I see this film? It looks really interesting, but the marketing department must have done a weak job, how come I haven´t heard about it? Will it have European distribution?

-n0c-

[ninadavenport]

what country do you live in?

[Nocturne06]

Right now I am in Estonia, but I am from Norway and will be in Norway from now till the end of January...:)

Thnx!

[ExterminateTheBrutes]

Man o man I remember him. He'd bullshit you about anything and everything. You wanted to like him, hell you wanted to Help him because of where he came from, what happened and what he wanted to do...Gawd it was trainwreck. I hope he learned something from all that and hopefully he actually made something at LFI rather than just Ride the Whirlwind. I wanted to see this film when it was in Prague. Missed it though and its never at any of the other festivals i got to X_X.

[reachground]

Just saw it on the Stockholm Film Festival. Great work Nina, now I have a lot to think about.

[ninadavenport]

just got this! how was the screening at stockholm?

[reachground]

It was a nice, calm evening at the opening day of the festival. Project Filmmaker was a good one to finish of the day.