Vice/VBS.TV’s documentary “Heavy Metal In Baghdad,” about the travails of the only metal band from Iraq, Acrassicauda, is getting a limited theatrical release in New York and Los Angeles come May 23 for one quick week.
The DVD has already been set for a June 10 release.
The film was well-received at many a film festival including the Toronto Film Festival in 2007 and the Berlin and Sundance Film Festivals earlier this year.
Directed by Canadians, Vice founder Suroosh Alvi and VBS.TV founder Eddy Moretti, the film follows the one metal band in war-torn Iraq and the extreme difficulties they faced by just trying to play heavy-metal in a Muslim country, let alone putting on concerts and shows.
Their practice space blows up, some of their members flee for Syria and this poor band struggles in every way imaginable (actually we don’t know what it’s like to live in fucked-up country like that so we can’t even imagine).
Synopsis:
Heavy Metal in Baghdad is a feature film documentary that follows the Iraqi heavy metal band Acrassicauda from the fall of Saddam Hussein in 2003 to the present day. Playing heavy metal in a Muslim country has always been a difficult (if not impossible) proposition but after Saddam’s regime was toppled, there was a brief moment for the band in which real freedom seemed possible. That hope was quickly dashed as their country fell into a bloody insurgency. From 2003-2006, Iraq disintegrated around them while Acrassicauda struggled to stay together and stay alive, always refusing to let their heavy metal dreams die. Their story echoes the unspoken hopes of an entire generation of young Iraqis.
Can we be honest (even though this thing was made from friends of friends?) The execution of this thing is rather amateurish and pedestrian, but the story is engaging and you definitely find yourself rooting for the band. However, it feels more like a full-blown version of a VBS.TV episode rather than a documentary worthy of hitting theaters (and maybe that’s indicative of the small run). Hey, it’s either that or a full-blown review and you probably don’t want that. But all in all it’s not a bad little film and probably worth seeing if you manage your expectations. Not to be apologists about our own opinions, but what the hell do we know? Lots of people seemed to enjoy this it and or at least find the story compelling.
Watch: “Heavy Metal In Baghdad” trailer
