Baghdad Blogger/Salam Pax – Video Reports from Iraq

Salam Pax is an Internet celebrity. During the early period of the war in Iraq, he published clever, funny and authentic columns on his website from within occupied Baghdad. These so-called weblogs or blogs were so well and sharply formulated that doubts rose about their authenticity. How could an Iraqi write such erudite and humorous English? How could a gay intellectual who likes alcohol and is all about Western pop music survive in Saddam Hussein’s Iraq? The Manchester Guardian had no doubts about his authenticity and offered him a platform. And after the invasion of Baghdad, the newspaper offered him a camera to continue his diaries on video. The results were broadcast by BBC’s Newsnight. The film programmed here is in fact a series of such video diaries. Pax also retains his rapid and sharp style on video. As a film maker, he is self-taught (he was originally an architect), but filmmakers can still learn something from his laconic and pointed style. The Guardian sent him on a weekend course in film making and apparently he’s a quick learner. Pax did not sit around waiting for something to happen. Like a seasoned reporter, he set out in search of news. For instance to Karbala, when the Shi’ite Ashoura festival was held there for the first time in 30 years, where pilgrims flog themselves until blood flows. (GjZ)