Crossing the Dust

Shawkat Amin Korki (born in Iraqi Kurdistan) deals in his first feature-length film with the recent history of his country. The story takes place in Iraq during the American invasion in 2003 and the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime. It is an unusual and unplanned road movie about two Kurdish soldiers, who truck in food supplies to their comrades-in-arms, and a five year-old boy they find lost on the street. One of the soldiers, Asad, takes pity on the boy and wants to help him find his family. The other one, Rashid, is a tougher cookie - certainly after he hears that the boy’s name is Saddam. He fiercely refuses to help the child. The two soldiers continue to quarrel about whether to help the boy or not while they carry on their way. They travel in the dust tracks, the boy between them. After their vehicle gets stolen they wander around the dried-out countryside that has been destroyed by war, and where the most common sight is soldiers and tanks.
The film is a personal drama in time of war - for the soldiers, the boy and many others - and, especially with its documentary-like feel and use of non-professional actors, it bears reminiscences of Italian neo-realism. (LC)