Operation Filmmaker Clip

In the wake of "Operation Iraqi Freedom," American actor Liev Schreiber had an idealistic notion: to rescue an Iraqi film student from the rubble of his country and bring him to the West to intern on a Hollywood movie (Everything Is Illuminated). It promised to be a heartwarming tale, a small victory out of the troubled mission of the U.S war in Iraq. But as in the war itself, "good" intentions yielded unintended consequences, and even this operation doesn't go according to plan. Director Nina Davenport becomes personally involved in Schreiber's charitable effort, and soon finds herself embroiled in a complex moral quagmire and all-consuming power struggle between filmmaker and subject. Operation Filmmaker is an engaging, sometimes comical political parable, taking the viewer on a riveting ride from Baghdad to Hollywood.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Toronto
• International
• Film
• Festival
• Official
• Selection

[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?

[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?

[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.

[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!

[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]

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

[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!

[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!

[icemachine79]

@CONTRAVIDAA Humuma! Your attitude is just as bad.

[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.