Project Detail

Ahlaam

Synopsis

This remarkable debut film plunges the viewer into the madness of occupied Baghdad circa 2003. Two inmates from a mental institution suddenly find themselves out in the streets, negotiating local gangs, American soldiers, ruined buildings and falling bombs. An intense, vivid experience both on and off-screen, as the director and his crew were abducted and interrogated by both sides during the shooting of the film.

Details

Year
2008
Type of film
Features
Running time
110 mins
Format
35mm
Director
Mohamed Al-Daradji 1st Feature
Producer
Mohamed Al-Daradji, Atia Al-Daradji
Editor
Ian Watson, Ghassan Abdullah
Screenwriter
Mohamed Al-Daradji
Director of Photography
Mohamed Al-Daradji
Sound
Sefi Camel

Genre

Categories

Production Status

Production Company

Human Film

ADP House
35 Hanover Square
Leeds LS3 1BQ
UK

T +44 (0)1132 438880

Iraq Al-Rafidain

Baghdad
Iraq

www.iraqalrafidain.com

Sales Company

Human Film

ADP House
35 Hanover Square
Leeds LS3 1BQ
UK

T +44 (0)1132 438880

Page updates

This page was last updated on 12th May 2025. Please let us know if we need to make any amendments or request edit access by clicking below.

See also

You may also be interested in other relevant projects in the database.

The Journey The Journey

Director: Mohamed Al-Daradji

Year: 2017

As Sara stands on the cusp of committing an unthinkable act, an unforeseen and awkward encounter gives her the opportunity to witness the potential consequences of her destructive action. But is this a second chance or an admission of guilt? <br /> Official Selection BFI Londonl Film Festival 2017 - Journey Strand

Son of Babylon Son of Babylon

Director: Mohamed Al-Daradji

Year: 2010

April 2003, three weeks after the fall of Saddam. A journey through Iraq, a troubled land where no one knows what lies ahead. On hearing the news that prisoners of war have been found alive in the South, a curious young boy Ahmed and his obstinate grandmother set out to uncover the fate of the boy's missing father, one of the many soldiers who never came home since the gulf war 1991.<br /> <br /> From the mountains of the North to the sands of Babylon, the pair hitch rides with strangers and cross paths with fellow pilgrims on an all too similar quest. As a grandmother struggles to accept an awful truth, Ahmed retraces the footsteps of a father he never knew. This is a journey that will not only connect them to the past, but will determine their lives forever.

War, Love, God and Madness War, Love, God and Madness

Director: Mohamed Al-Daradji

Year: 2008

The year is 2007, four years after the fall of Saddam. A young man travels home to Baghdad, inspired and eager to fulfil his obligation to his family and friends who have been waiting many years for his return. <br /> <br /> On the journey we recount the trials and tribulations that faced the young man and his group of friends in their pursuit to make a dream come true. War, Love, God &amp; Madness recounts the heroic tales of a group of young men filled with hope to rebuild Iraq through hope and culture. In 2003 the air is filled with the possibility of change and new beginnings, after 25 years of tyranny under Saddam, whilst still the scent of gunpowder looms in the air. This is a story which shows us a side of Iraq we won't see on the news.