Underexposure

This is the first feature made on location in Baghdad after the fall of Saddam Hussein, made with the help of many friends and volunteers and with scarcely any budget. Underexposure, a title that refers not only to the outdated film stock that was used to make the film, but also to the generations of Iraqis that have been isolated from the world for decades, takes an unprecedented, uncensored look into the lives, hearts, and minds of those living in Iraq during the tumultuous days after the fall of Saddam. Director Oday Rasheed has created a vivid world set against a real backdrop of war and upheaval. Friends, lovers, strangers and family members are woven together by the complexities of their new reality. The past is only a moment behind them, with the presence of death a constant companion into the future. Maysoun, the object of her brother and lover’s affections, finds solace in her sexuality. Hassan finds comfort in the belief that his films will outlive the cancer taking over his body. Homeless and alone with only his sacks of brightly colored rags, Nassir experiences his first taste of companionship and responsibility with the discovery of a dying Iraqi soldier. A work in progress, but fascinating enough to be screened already.