Thursday, October 15, 2009
Film / Politics / Free Shit Nice Bombs
Posted by Ed M. Koziarski on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 at 1:03 PM
- "Nice Bombs"
Way back in the early days of the Iraq War, when many Iraqis and Americans were still optimistic about the outcome, Usama Alshaibi returned to his native Baghdad. It had been 24 years since his family fled Iraq for Jordan and later Iowa, where Alshaibi spent his teens before studying film at Columbia College.
Alshaibi went back to Baghdad with his father, a retired math professor, and his wife and producer Kristie. Alshaibi's film Nice Bombs captures the moment when euphoria over the overthrow of Saddam Hussein was turning to dread, when the power vacuum in Iraq was growing evident, when the American military was making its uneasy transition from liberators to occupiers.
Nice Bombs has two free screenings Friday 10/16 at the Portage Theater in celebration of its 10/27 DVD release from Libertyville-based Cinema Obscura.
In September, Alshaibi was awarded the first Kartemquin Diversity Fellowship to develop a documentary adaptation of Toufic El Rassi’s autobiographical graphic novel Arab in America, about a Lebanese boy growing up in Chicago.
He's also at work on the fiction film Profane, about a Muslim pro dominatrix. "The very word 'Islam' means submission and 'Muslim' means one who submits," Alshaibi told Vice Magazine. "So I found this very interesting in that the main character, Muna, plays a pro-Domme, who has slaves submit to her, but she submits in prayer to Allah."
Nice Bombs screens Friday 10/16 at 8 and 10 PM at the Portage Theater, 4050 N. Milwaukee.
Latest in The Blog
-
Early Warnings Roundup
This week's Early Warning include Atmosphere, Big Boi, High on Fire, Delorean, Jonsi, Maserati, Bob Mould, Surfer Blood, Of Montreal, the Thermals, and Titus Andronicus.
- Jul 29, 2010
-
7/31 Grand Opening of Chicago's First Bike Park
Chicago Area Mountain Bikers and the Chicago Park District celebrate the opening of Chicago's first bike park with a party on July 31.
- Jul 29, 2010
-
This Week in the Reader's Music Section
Tim Kinsella talks Cap'n Jazz, "Bartok rockers" Reds and Blue finally release their first album, Kings of Leon get a thumbs-down from the pigeon community, and more.
- Jul 29, 2010
- More »
Author Archives
-
Best Rainmaker for Chicago in Hollywood
Michael Bay
- Jun 24, 2010
-
Chicago Anarchist Film Festival
The 10th Annual Chicago Anarchist Film Festival screens new and archival works, 5/5-5/16 at St. Paul's Cultural Center and No Exit Cafe.
- May 5, 2010
-
Fresh
Members of Evanston's Talking Farm hold a Q&A after the Saturday screening of ana Sofia joanes's sustainable agriculture documentary "Fresh" at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
- Jul 28, 2010
- More »
Top Commenters
Comments (0)