exile & empire : 20 shorts films on Iraq is a one hour long, ‘essay-driven’ documentary film on Iraq, past and present, seen through a series of short films.

Iraqi-Canadian filmmaker Duraid Munajim was originally making a film about Iraqi exiles. Then world events gradually spun out of control, culminating in the war and its direct aftermath. The filmmaker shot the last leg of his film in Iraq, arriving in the conquered capital days after its fall.

The shorts range in style, from the typical ‘talking head’ interview film, to more experimental films told with images and sound. These images were captured using stills, super 8, 16mm, 35mm and mini dv.

The film offers the viewer a window into Iraq from the point of view of an Iraqi. The sorrows of the past, the loneliness of exiles, the destruction of war, the ironies of the occupation.