HEAVY METAL IN BAGHDAD is a documentary film that
follows the Iraqi heavy metal band Acrassicauda
(Latin for a deadly black scorpion native to Iraq)
from the fall of Saddam Hussein to their escape
from Iraq. THe band members - Firas (bass), Tony
(lead guitar), Marwan (drums) and Faisal (lead
vocals and rhythm guitar) - were bred on American
heavy metal albums, learning to speak English by
listening to Slayer, Metallica and Slipknot.
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.
Directors Eddy Moretti and Suroosh Alvi traveled
to Baghdad to find Acrassicauda, Iraq's most
famous heavy metal band. From 2003-2006, Iraq
disintegrated around Acrassicauda while they
struggled to stay together and stay alive, always
refusing to let heavy metal dreams die. Their
story echoes the unspoken hopes of an entire
generation of young Iraqis.
Format size: | Widescreen |
Languages: | English |
Country: | US |
Runtime: | 85 min. |
Number of discs: | 1 |