Forget Baghdad: Jews and Arabs--The Iraqi Connection

The son of a Shi'ite Muslim family driven into exile from Iraq, Swiss director Samir fashions a stunning documentary essay in Forget Baghdad, which explores the history and lives of Iraqi Jewish writers now living in Israel. Asking What does it mean to be an enemy of your own past? Forget Baghdad mixes interviews with vintage archival footage to ponder questions of patriotism, exile, and the need for reconciliation. Featuring writer Sami Michael, critic Ella Shohat, and clips from Sallah, the hilarious 1964 satire. (114 mins.)

Jane Hathaway (Department of History) and Amy Horowitz (Melton Center for Jewish Studies) lead a postscreening discussion.