Intriguing documentary thrusts the audience into post-war Iraq, only this time from the Iraqis' point of view. Iraqi director Haydar Mousa Daffar and his contributing filmmakers have brought us a balanced look at the devastation of war. Some subjects support the removal of Saddam Hussein despite personal loss; others subscribe to popular anti-war arguments, calling the effort an oil grab, among other accusations. Western viewers are bound to come away with similarly mixed conclusions. In some ways, things seem so much better in Iraq than the news coverage would suggest. Yet in other ways, the film shows a society where true democracy and unity seem like fairy tales.
"The Dreams of Sparrows" presents not only a fascinating look at war, but also at Iraqi society, which Westerners still know so little about. We meet school children, poets, artists, taxi drivers, intellectuals and everyday people. Iraq is often seen in uneducated Western circles as an assemblage of backwards people living in mud huts and worshiping in ancient mosques. As Daffar shows, it's not nearly that simple. In fact, you may be struck by how much alike Iraqis and Westerners are.
On the down side (and it's not a very large down side), the documentary is at times disjointed, and its limited production budget (and, of course, limited access within the country) hinders it slightly. And with most of the film subtitled, it's sometimes a task to absorb all the words and important images simultaneously. You'll want to keep your finger on the pause button at all times.
Overall, there's no denying that "The Dreams of Sparrows" is a piece of work as important as it is entertaining. You'll most certainly have to find it online, but it's well worth the investment of time and money.
