My Country My Country

Called "the definitive non-fiction film about the occupation of Iraq" in the Village Voice, My Country My Country is a powerful new documentary that provides an intimate portrait of occupied Iraq. Director Laura Poitras visits to introduce the Wednesday, September 13, screening and host a Q and A session afterwards. My Country My Country examines the inherent contradictions of the United States' attempt to spread democracy throughout the region. The director personalizes the situation by focusing on Dr. Riyadh, a Sunni father of six and a hopeful candidate in the January 2005 Iraqi elections. Poitras codirected Flag Wars, a documentary about gentrification in Columbus, Ohio, that screened here in 2003 and received support from the center's Art and Technology facility. My Country was featured in this year's New Directors/New Films Festival, a series presented by The Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center. (90 mins., 35mm)