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Return to Kirkuk: A Year in the Fire

2006Movie1 h 30 min

75
GreatGoodWatch score

A deeply moving, intricate documentary movie about politics and society.

Good for friends night · thought-provoking · adults

Skip it if you want something to laugh at · you need an uplifting mood · you want to half-watch while scrolling

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Story

It was 30 years ago that 14-year-old Karzan Sherabayani was arrested and tortured by Saddam Hussein's secret police, his only crime being that he was a Kurd. After 25 years in exile, Karzan, now a British citizen, has returned to his childhood home to vote in Iraq's first democratic election. Having been banished for so long, Karzan now asks the people of Kirkuk if they accept the path promoted by the West...a path that will inevitably lead to a divided Iraq or a bloody civil war. In this incredible documentary, Karzan exposes a city that sits on one of the world's largest oil deposits as a place where old ethnic and sectarian divisions are still rife. Kirkuk, he says, is a microcosm of the new Iraq. During the year it took to make the program, Karzan confronted old demons from his past and met with the heroes and villains who are fashioning the country's dangerous and uncertain future

Feels like

  • Political Documentary
  • Post-Conflict Zone
  • Kurdish Experience
  • Middle East History
  • Socio-Political Commentary
  • Personal Journey
  • Geopolitical Analysis
  • Human Rights
  • Ethnic Conflict
  • Oil Politics

Cast

Crew

Directed by
Kae Bahar
Produced by
Kae Bahar

Everyone

Pick a department, or search for a name or a job (“editor”, “stunt”).

Facts

January 1, 2006 · 1 h 30 min · Violence, Disturbing Imagery

Released
January 1, 2006
Runtime
1 h 30 min
Content
Violence, Disturbing Imagery
Genres
Documentary
Original language
English
Also spoken
Kurdish
Made in
United Kingdom

Q&A

3 questions, like "Is Return to Kirkuk: A Year in the Fire worth watching?"

Questions about Return to Kirkuk: A Year in the Fire

Quick answers from GoodWatch data.

Is Return to Kirkuk: A Year in the Fire worth watching?

75
GreatGoodWatch score

Mostly, it's well received, with a GoodWatch score of 75 (IMDb 8).

Can I half-watch Return to Kirkuk: A Year in the Fire?

Easy watchDemanding

No, it needs your attention: the title analysis rates it 9 of 10 for complexity and 7 for philosophical.

Will I feel good after watching Return to Kirkuk: A Year in the Fire?

BleakHopeful

Probably not: the title analysis rates it 8 of 10 for bleakness and 7 for melancholy, against 3 for hopefulness.