Sunday, October 12, 2008

Salam Pax Video

I found four short videos made by Salam Pax in 2005-06. Salam made his first video for Guardian Films, "Salam Pax in Amara," in January 2005. The video, "Baghdad Blogger: Constitution," was made in October 2005. "The Battle for Women's Rights," was made sometime after the general elections in Iraq, 2005. The video, "How to Stay Alive in Baghdad," was made in July 2006. All are under 15 minutes.

I also found the longer, feature-length video "The Baghdad Blogger," about how he came to be, made in February 2005. Each video is distributed by, and available on, the Journeyman Pictures, UK, site to which all these links refer. A DVD of each is also available on the site.

You will need Real Player from real.com installed on your computer. Download Free Real Player.

Here is the link for the "Amara" video: http://www.journeyman.tv/18118/short-films/salam-pax-in-amara.html

The link for "Baghdad Blogger: Constitution" is:
http://www.journeyman.tv/19111/short-films/baghdad-blogger-constitution.html

Here is the link where you can download the "Women's Rights": http://www.journeyman.tv/18444/short-films/the-battle-for-womens-rights.html

The link for the "Stay Alive" video is:
http://www.journeyman.tv/56445/short-films/how-to-stay-alive-in-iraq.html


The link for the longer video, "The Baghdad Blogger" is: http://www.journeyman.tv/18160/documentaries/the-baghdad-blogger.html

Journeyman Pictures has a number of other videos made in, and about, Iraq by various independent filmmakers. You can search the site by country.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Salam Pax is, indeed, in London

I haven't posted because I was waiting to see if what I interpreted as hints from what Salam posted were, indeed, factual. They were. Salam Pax is alive and well in the UK.

He posted 17 June on the Guardian Web blog called "Talk About Newsnight," with the title "The Return of the Baghdad Blogger." I hadn't checked since before the Memorial Day weekend. I bad! Click title of this post for link.

Salam confirms that he and his entire family are now safely out of Iraq, but scattered in different countries. He is not happy to be uprooted, but happy everyone is safe at the moment. He is studying. He also reports that he should have a video to post this month.


I'm checking to see what is happening with the movie tentatively titled BAGHDAD BLOG. The production company is also in the UK.

I apologize for not posting for so very long. I shall try to post more often from now on. If you wish to send an e-mail, check my profile for address.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

BAGHDAD BLOG, The Movie


It's official. The NY Times announced today that the movie based on Salam Pax's book, Salam Pax: The Clandestine Diary of an Ordinary Iraqi, published October 2003, is in development. The title: BAGHDAD BLOG. This is a working title and is subject to change.

Welsh director Marc Evans (SNOW CAKE) is onboard as director. Ross Klavan (GRACE IS GONE) has written, or is writing, the screenplay, the country of origin is the UK. The production companies listed are Intermedia Films, and FilmFour Lab. I'm not sure if this Intermedia is based in Nottingham, England, or Beverly Hills, and I'm not sure that FilmFour Lab is back in business. I am checking.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Salam Pax Posts?

I found a reference to a post by Salam Pax 20 December 2007. I found it on Munir Umrani's THE BLOGGING JOURNALIST. The article is posted on IRAQ ONLINE - (EDITORIAL / OPINION) - Salam Pax, Niqash, 20 December 2007.

I found the following about Niqash in a comment posted 17 July 2005:

" 'Thoughts on Syrian politics, history and religion.' An interesting new civil society experiment is running on the web called Niqash. . . . Matthias Klein, is editor of the English section. A space for Iraqis."

Is it genuine? Can't say.

Also, I have posted Salam's "Photopage" from 2003. See the link on the left sidebar.