Ultime Bad news

S: listen manu one of the guys who was going to participate was killed yesterday in baghdad he is a sculptor and he was going to make a small statue for the opening night

me: nooooooooooo

S: so we are going to put a memorial page on the website and dedicate the film festival to him

me: o fuck

i'm without words

who was the guy?

S: the officials need to understand that these guys cannot cannot cannot go back to Iraq to get the visa

In Memory of Iraqi Sculptor

Offline :Baghdad Contributing Artist Basim Hamed died Tuesday, September 18, 2007 in Yousefia, iraq. Basim Hamed was an ardent supporter of the endeavors of Offline: Baghdad and we extend our sincerest condolences to his family and friends. Basim was an enthusiastic supporter of offline: baghdad and was preparing to create a statue for the opening night of Offline: Baghdad (Not Just ANother Film Festival). All of us here at Offline: Baghdad are dearly aware of the risks faced by the filmmakers, writers and photographers as well as fixers and translators whose work we are striving to bring to outside audiences, the death of Basim Hamed is a pointed reminder to us all.

Basim Hamed crafted shrapnel from car bombs into a memorial to 34 children killed by an attack in Baghdad.

When the sculpture was destroyed and he received death threats, Hamed knew it was time to leave for Syria.
"In Baghdad there are only killers and victims. I cannot be a killer and I don't want to be a victim," he said.

Hamed, one of a generation of Iraqi artists and writers who spread their creative wings after the toppling of Saddam Hussein in 2003, says tyranny was replaced by an even more oppressive order.


Damascus, hoping they can influence opinion at home for the better.



Basim Hamed died Tuesday, September 18, 2007

S: he was living in exile in syria but returned to Iraq for short time but was targeted like they all are when he came to our house he spoke of the targeting that he and N. and A. and everyone faces that they are on a list because the militias and others are trying to kill the intellectuals and especially filmmakers, artists, actors etc.

S: it is too dangeous and also it will cost them $600 USD dollars for the roundtrip from Baghdad to Damascus also they are all working on a documentary project on Iraqis living in Syria in exile and since syria changed its visa rules if these guys go out of Syria to Iraq they cannot get back in

Ecco le ultime bad news che coinvolgono gente a me un pò più vicina, dalla Siria e dall'Iraq...Immagino i ragazzi iraqeni, saranno distrutti...Si cerca una soluzione sempre e comunque per realizzare questo festival, si cerca di sperare per una società migliore e più consapevole. La foto che ho inserito è stata presa dal blog del soldato americano in Iraq...

"A Baghdad ci sono solo assassini e vittime. Io non potrei essere un assassino e non voglio essere una vittima."

Basim Hamed