Mike Shiley, a creator of travel films and traveling lecturer, was sitting on the couch watching the news one day when his curiosity was piqued as to whether we were getting the straight scoop on Iraq via the mainstream media. Shiley decided to find out for himself by creating a fake press pass at Kinkos, renting a flack jacket and cashing in his frequent flier miles. He entered Iraq and documented the many people he met there and their attitude toward the U.S. led war to topple Saddam. This was in December 2003 when insurgent attacks were less frequent and Shiley therefore was not confined to the Green Zone, as many journalists are today.
This film is an excellent look into a country that few Americans know anything about. It is a chance to see some of the impact our nation's actions have had on that country. The footage was taken before the insurgents were targeting American troops and kidnapping foreign nationals at the rate they are today. Perhaps if Shiley were to interview those people today, they might have a slightly different feeling for America's involvement in their country. However, this is an excellent look into various sectors of Iraqi life in several different regions. It puts a human face on a conflict that is seldom seen up close by Americans. For that reason, everyone should see this film. In addition, Shiley takes neither a pro-war nor an anti-war stance, which makes this film particularly interesting.
I am also looking forward to Mike Shiley's next film, Dark Water Rising: The Truth About Hurricane Katrina Animal Rescues. Shiley and a film crew went to New Orleans after the hurricanes to document the work of animal rescuers there, racing against time to save as many animals as they could. I just watched the trailer at www.dark water rising.com (no spaces). It looks even better than Inside Iraq, if that's possible.
