Taking part in World Press Freedom Day

Earlier this month, Salam attended a local Press Freedom Day in Baghdad for World Press Freedom Day. The meeting was sponsored by the local free press advocacy group, TEMKIN. For pictures from the bloggers corner at the event, click title of post. Video.

The name of the advocacy group intrigues me. The letters may mean something in Arabic, but the first thing that popped into my mind was Sergei Eisenstein's movie, BATTLESHIP POTEMKIN (Bronenosets Potyomkin, 1925, Russia) about the 1905 uprising of the ship's crew against intolerable conditions.

The riot spilled out into the city of Odessa where townspeople joined the crew in their protest, and a number of people were killed. The scenes Eisenstein filmed on the Odessa steps for his movie are now required viewing for all students studying film history and filmmaking. Pictures.

Salam is posting on Global Voices

Salam is posting on Global Voices Online. His first post: "Iraq: Remembering April 9, 2003 - When Sitting on the Fence is Difficult" Check it out! Click title of this post to access.

He is tweeting and blogging

Salam is blogging again. He keeps changing his blogging address, but I think this is his latest, "Salam Pax The Baghdad Blogger": http://salampax.wordpress.com/. He has been revisiting his original blog, titled "Where is Raed."

He's also on Facebook and is tweeting (Twitter), with over 500 followers on the latter. Plus, he has a Photostream.

Yee gads! Does he ever have time to actually make human contact?

SALAM IS IN BAGHDAD

Ali, a friend in Iraq, sent me this link to a post by Salam, "I Want Baghdad to Feel Like Home Again." It was originally written for his blog on The Guardian (UK), and re-posted today on Iraq Update. The important thing is that he arrived safely in Baghdad. Click title of this post.

I hope he gets his wish. However, Salam, remember to keep your head down!

Salam Pax Update January 2009

Salam spent last year finishing his studies for a MA in International Journalism at the City University of London, which he received at the end of the summer. He currently lists his home of record as Beirut, Lebanon. Here's a hint: If you are a member of Facebook, you might search for him, find him, and perhaps he will accept you as a friend.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Salam Pax's BBC Newsnight Reports

While searching the BBC Web site, I found some interesting items from Salam Pax, and I share them with you:

"Magical thinking and the lost country," Salam Pax's Window on Iraq, BBC Talk About Newsnight blog post 20 March 2007.

"Losing our country," Newsnight post 10 April 2006.

Salam Pax as reporter / filmaker - BBC video - "The Life and Death of Saddam Hussein." Try this link for the video and more.

RIVERBEND POSTS FROM SYRIA

The female blogger known as Riverbend, whom I have followed since the invasion of Iraq, posted in April that her family had decided to leave Baghdad and were packing. Then, nothing.

Yesterday she posted that the family has finally made it to Syria. Please read her post on her blog, Baghdad Burning!

After you do that, go to Khalid's blog Tell me a Secret, and read the post about the project to help Iraqi refugees, the Collateral Repair Project. Thank you!

Again, please leave a comment, especially if you have any information or Web links relating to Salam Pax. Thanks!