Heavy Metal in Baghdad

Remember the famous Twisted Sister video where the Dad asks the kid "What do you wanna do with your life?" and the kid's answer is "I WANNA ROCK!"? The members of Acrassicauda just wanna rock too. The problem is that unlike most young bands, Acrassicauda (Latin for "Black Scorpion") happens to be the first (and so far only) heavy metal band from Iraq, a country which is obviously not known for its rock and roll scene. That's the set up for "Heavy Metal In Baghdad," a fascinating documentary that puts a human face on the misery currently facing the population of that war ravaged country. The members of Acrassicauda thought they had it bad before the American invasion. They couldn't wear their hair long for fear of persecution, their songs had to be pro-Saddam Hussein, and their music is accused of promoting Satanism. Just getting the band together in one place to play a concert was a massive undertaking. Unbelievably, the situation got even worse once the American "liberators" took over. When a pair of Canadian journalists who serve as our narrators arrive in Baghdad in 2006, the country is more or less the Wild West. They travel with an A-Team of bodyguards wherever they go and wear flak jackets at all times. It's not safe to be on the streets for more than a few minutes for fear of being kidnapped, shot by a sniper, or hit by a stray rocket. I found these on-the-ground segments particularly fascinating, as the team captures the desperate day-to-day life in Baghdad that you don't see much of on your sanitized nightly TV news.

When the film crew finally reconnects with Acrassicauda, the band hasn't played a concert in a year and in fact all of the members haven't even been in the same room together for nearly six months. Acrassicauda seem to be likable guys, they're just your average joes in Metallica and Slipknot shirts, prone to throwing the metal "devil horns" as much as possible and speaking surprisingly good English (peppered with the expected F-bombs; this is a heavy metal band, after all), bemoaning the fact that they can't just get together whenever they want to kick some ass like any other band around the world.

Eventually the scene shifts to Damascus, Syria, where the band members have emigrated to escape the war in their homeland. They may be out of the war zone, but they're still miserable. Packed like sardines in tiny apartments, scraping by with dead-end menial jobs and missing their families, one band member even admits that he misses the sounds of bombings and machine gun fire. The film's narrators arrange for the band to lay down some tracks for an EP in a primitive recording studio in Damascus, finally fulfilling their dream to have their tunes preserved on tape. When the band is playing their music, we finally see how much joy it brings to their lives. From there, Acrassicauda puts on their first concert outside of Iraq in the basement of a pool hall, saying that if it's not well attended, the band will break up. Happily, the small crowd of rockers eats up the band's music, inspiring them to continue onward.

From the description, you might say this sounds like "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" against a war backdrop, but it's way more than that. Even as the film ends, the band members are depressed and angry about their situation and the band's future remains in doubt. A crawl at the end of the film says that Acrassicauda were in danger of being deported from Syria and sent back to Iraq as their Visas had expired. (I understand that since this film was released, they have all emigrated to the U.S. and have picked up their musical dreams where they left off. I haven't heard the four song EP they recently released but I'm definitely interested in doing so.) "Heavy Metal In Baghdad" is absorbing, fascinating, and depressing all at the same time. I can not imagine going through the sort of things that Acrassicauda have experienced on a near daily basis, so they have my respect not only as musicians, but as people. The next time I read an interview with some spoiled rock star complaining about how tough his life is, I hope someone tells him to shut up and watch this movie.

This documentary really opened my eyes to the simple pleasures that we take for granted . I was really moved by the fact that I can just hop in my car go to a gig and let my anger out in the pit and just live life . This documentary brings to light the hardships that occur in Iraq , and to this band the only thing that makes them free is getting together to jam and record a album . you will feel a whole new sense of self after seeing this documentary trust me. I as a Canadian feel a great injustice of what is occurring in Iraq after viewing this , but ,media and politics dictate what they want you to see. Wake up north America ! and create a world that we can all just be free to express ourselves in whatever form we choose .

'Heavy Metal In Baghdad'is a documentary about the first & ONLY heavy metal band in Iraq (at least,so far). That band is/was Acrassicauda (Latin for 'The Black Scorpion'),a band that wants nothing more than to rock out. If they existed in America,Europe,Asia,or even parts of Africa,no problem. The fact that the band got their start prior to the American invasion of Iraq (or as most with half a brain referred it to an unprovoked attack by Fuhrer George II) only managed to make things worse. The band had to deal with ultra strict Islamic oppression (song lyrics had to be pro Sadam & pro Islam,shows had to end as early as seven o'clock,no women allowed at performances & a host of other related b.s.). Fellow Canadian documentary film makers,Eddy Moretti & Suroosh Alvi (Vice Guide To Travel),document their trip to Iraq to see if the members of Acrassicauda were still alive & performing (under extreme duress,as air travel was very dicey, where they had to take a plane to the far northern tip of Iraq & take a connecting flight into Baghdad,at great risk),and to see what conditions are like in post Sadam Iraq. Their brevity was rewarded. They meet up with the two surviving members with the band for a series of interviews (the other members had fled to Syria,and the other surviving members would eventually follow the following year). Through video footage of performances at various venues that they could actually play at,as well as personal insights by each band member,we get to know a bit more about their lives. This is a bleak, pessimistic film about several lives who have been exposed to way too much horror and death than one person should have to deal with. The interviews are spiked with anger & bitterness over what has happened to their beloved home country & the violence & hatred toward Iraqi's that has exploded with the subsequent U.S. invasion. Another eye opening documentary for those who have seen the well produced wave of anti war documentaries since all of this transpired. Spoken in English,Arabic & heavily accented English with English subtitles. Rated 'R'by the MPAA for pervasive strong language

Just got back from the world premier at TIFF 07 and I am impressed. Like the gun market journey from the "Vice Guide" Eddy and Suroosh drew out the important issues behind the primary subject matter. I found the journey of the young men and their evolution through extreme turmoil delivered in a raw manner that one does not get through main stream media. The raw look at life and oppression that continues from the old Saddam regime into the new present day Iraq is shocking. The movie is shown through several time periods in the bands life and how playing music is the only thing that keeps them going. The band members that are interviewed are well spoken, articulate, and emotional. That emotion keeps coming back in the film and every happiness in their lives is tempered by the Iraq war to such a degree that the true impact of what's happening over there is just now becoming clearer. For me the true role and impact of the mass market main-stream media has been exposed and for that reason alone I would suggest watching "Heavy Metal in Baghdad". I also look forward to any subsequent sequels or Vice production regarding the lives of the band members but especially Tony and his pupil Mike.

Thank you Eddy and Suroosh.

I found myself surprised to like a film about heavy metal this much. Just personal taste, but it's not music that usually speaks to me.

But this tragic, darkly comic, oddly triumphant and endearing look at a group of young Iraqis trying to keep their band together and play - in the middle of the insanity of war, and then later in exile in Syria - and also seeing the crazy bravery of the two young guys trying to make a film about them - has stuck in my head with very fond feelings.

By making the war and it's effects this personal I came away with a much deeper understanding than I might have from a film trying to cover the whole wide landscape.

I wasn't quite as moved on a second viewing with friends, but it's still a film I think of with tremendous warmth, and recommend whether you like heavy metal or not.