My Country, My Country (Mawtini, Mawtini)

D: Laura Poitras

Imagine the movie Casablanca is real. Imagine it takes place in Iraq today. Imagine Rick, the world-weary tavern owner with a secret heart of gold is instead a doctor struggling to help his people while surfing between the political lines. That’s the heart of My Country, My Country, an actual, honest-to-God impartial (if that is indeed possible) documentary depicting the controversial 2005 Iraqi national elections. Our tired doctor palms some cash to a struggling patient, checks on prisoners’ well-being, runs for political office in an election that has disaster writ large upon it. Meanwhile, U.S. troops do their best to make a difference and shed crocodile tears for a murdered Iraqi interpreter. The tale told here is not so much a political one as it is a human one, which is why this film rates a wide audience. Regardless of on which side of the fence viewers stand, this documentary will reverberate.

11:15am, Austin Convention Center

This article appears in March 17 • 2006.

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