Bagdad Rap

"Best International Documentary"
New York International Independent Film Festival

"Gold Kitte Best Documentary"
Festival Voicing Silence, Bangalore, India

"Best Documentary"
Youth Fest, Buenos Aires, Argentina

"Best Spanish Language Film"
International Film Festival of Human Rights, Spain

"Gran Premio"
VIII Festival Internacional de Documentales Santiago Alvarez In Memoriam, Cuba


Official site:



I've also included a short introductory clip, Picasso does Bagdad Rap, which explains why the Spanish people had such an affinity with the Iraqis, after our experiences with aerial bombing during the Civil War. The reference to the Civil War is also apparent in what the human shields call themselves: Brigadistas, in honour of the International Brigades who came to Spain in our hour of need.

"Art, like children, outlives death"

It's curious that western governments should now claim how nobody could imagine there would be no WMDs in Iraq, how they were misled by their own "intelligence" services. Well, the millions who took to the streets at the time weren't fooled. Not to mention the many who volunteered to go to Baghdad as human shields, independent journalists and even clowns and circuses to bring some cheer to the children of Iraq.

Bagdad Rap by Arturto Cisneros is a documentary about a group of Spanish human shields who felt they had to do something, no matter how futile it may have seemed. But it also documents the voices of the modern, sophisticated citizens of Baghdad, something our propaganda-driven media failed to do.

Pay special attention to the background scenes. There’s a lot of text, with the subtitles and all, but you can always move the slide bar back. Notice the streets are orderly. The cars stop at traffic lights (urban myth no, 872). Buildings are not in ruins. People get on with their daily lives. Notice that Baghdad is/was a beautiful city.



PHOTO by Reuters
Published: La Jornada,
6 March 2007		 Sorry about the horrific background image. Was hoping for something nicer, but right out of flowers.