I was recently introduced to a film called ‘Heavy Metal In Baghdad.’ The on-line trailer (see above) was so intriguing that I had my friend, a PR person, introduce me to one of the film producers. We spoke by phone and it turned out that the film company, VBS.TV, is in Brooklyn, just a few neighborhoods over from where I live. They were nice enough to have an advance screening delivered to me the same day. Immediately after seeing it, I called and offered to do whatever I could to help spread the word The following essay captures my thoughts about the film.
Music is a lifeline to humanity, spirit and survival in times of war. In recent years, films such as ‘The Pianist’ and ‘Shine’ have illustrated this brilliantly by depicting classical musicians affected by the events of World War II. A whole new take on this is realized in the new film ‘Heavy Metal In Baghdad.’
‘Heavy Metal In Baghdad’ places you on the front lines of war and draws you in with music. This achievement all the more remarkable when one considers that this film is not a depiction at all, but a very real, true to life documentary. The filmmakers, Eddy Moretti and Suroosh Alvi faced immense danger, risking their lives to tell this story. Their fearlessness, dedication and determination is very (for lack of a better word) metal.
It is not Bach and Mozart representing the musical backdrop here, but Metallica and Slayer. Instead of the war torn landscape of 1940’s Europe, the setting is present day Iraq. The artists who are the subjects of the film are not classical pianists, but a metal band by the name of Acrassicauda (which translates literally to ‘Black Scorpion’).
HMIB puts a very human face on the misunderstood, overlooked population of Iraqi civilians, via this group of dedicated musicians. Right away I feel I know these guys. They’re just like any other cool metal guys from other countries. They speak pretty good, if broken, English (much of it learned from metal lyrics). They use the ‘f’ word a lot. They wear black clad t-shirts with logo’s of their favorite bands.
These are guys with whom you can share a beer and listen to a Slayer CD, fist in the air. They have a great sense of humor (despite all they’re going through) and love metal. They want the same thing’s most of us want, to be able to pursue our dreams and have a good time doing it. But for them, like anyone else in Iraq, it’s not so easy.
Any thoughts I’ve ever had about my own ‘struggles’ being a musician were quickly put to shame when I saw this film. Sure, I’ve dealt with my share of cancelled flights, lost luggage and equipment failure. But bombings, curfews, sniper fire, and having your country under seige 24 hours a day while on the brink of civil war?
For the guys in Acrassicauda, this is a daily reality in Iraq, where putting on one concert in Iraq is more challenging than booking an entire tour in the US. There is a litany of questioning, searches and inspections. Electricity is fleeting and there is an early evening curfew. As a result, gigs are extremely rare, and that’s just in the beginning when we first get to know the band. Things only get worse from there.
While most of us have been victims of equipment theft at one time or another, these guys have to watch their entire rehearsal spot destroyed by a bomb, with all their equipment inside. When the filmmakers attempt to donate instruments, CD’s and other items to the guys, there is a wall of US bureaucracy that prevents the items from reaching the band. The band, meanwhile are unable to travel to Europe or the US because of their Iraqi passports.
These situations escalate and illustrate some of the many ironies presented in the film, one of the biggest being that the metal fans and musicians of Iraq have been suppressed by the very forces which should be embracing them the most.
Whether US politicians (especially conservative Republicans) want to admit it or not, there is something very pro-Democracy and, pro-American about metal. When we see these Iraqi guys with their Metallica and Megadeth T-shirts and CD’s, they are proudly displaying products which are reflective of our capitalist systems. They’re not ashamed of that and show no ill will toward the US. In other words metal is achieving what our foreign policy is not.
However, we also see the neutral attitude of the guys tested as the increasing hardships brought on by the US occupation set in. Music and especially metal music, represents a positive outlet for feelings of frustration, isolation and bonding with others. The acts of pounding the drums, thumping the bass, making the guitars scream and yelling into the mic provide a welcome respite from daily life, providing therapeutic sensations to listeners and musicians alike. But when this sole outlet of creativity is taken away, what is left? By not helping the positive and unintentionally pro-Western outlet of music make its way to these places we are doing ourselves and the rest of the world a great disservice indeed.
Another irony that came to mind from my own experience is this: there are a lot of US soldiers who are metal fans as well. Metal is a common link between young people of many cultures. What if there was a concert of US metal bands that the soldiers and the citizens could enjoy? Imagine if the US provided free T-Shirts and CD’s to young Iraqi fans? What about instruments and music lessons? Now that would be truly planting seeds of democracy. Unfortunately, what we are providing is quite the opposite, a message which comes across quite well in the film.
These are just a few of the thoughts that came to mind as I was watching ‘Heavy Metal In Baghdad.’ But please check it out and see what thoughts you have.
In short, I was totally knocked out by this film. If anyone has any doubts about the importance of music (metal music in particular) and it’s place in the world, this film will change your mind. I encourage everyone to see it.