Good work.

I am so happy that Hometown Baghdad has given us all the opportunity to see this important untold story of the Iraq War, and also the chance to be part of its telling! Thanks from

thanks for this.

These three installments were incredible.

I'm just waiting for the banal uselessness of Rabbit Bites to chime in! Surely they have something hilarious to say about this (in a funny voice please!)...

I have forwarded a link to everyone I know. Bravo!

What an interesting perspective. As a student myself, I can really relate to that age bracket.

In the midst of the acutely partisan political debate about US policy in Iraq, it is so easy to forget that the situation has a huge and very fundamental impact on the daily lives of Iraqis who are not "political" in any way. "Hometown Baghdad" brings home to all of us the true reality of the current situation in the proverbial birthplace of civilization.

I know an Airborne captain who recently returned after a year in Baghdad and one of the most poignant impressions on him was the degree of difficulty faced daily by ordinary Iraqis in trying to live their lives in the midst of conflict. There has been little coverage in the US of these kinds of issues.

No matter what one's opinion of past decisions on Iraq may be, or no matter what view you may have on the future of US policy there, you cannot help but be moved by these vignettes. The lessons go beyond Baghdad to anyplace racked by conflict from whatever source.

Thank you Chat the Planet.

This is the kind of content that I really appreciate from Salon. If we are to have an intelligent, compassionate discussion about what happens in Iraq, we need to hear the voices of ordinary Iraqis, and perhaps even speak with them.

Watching this video brings the humanity of this war into clear focus. Sadly, i've become numb to the headlines of bombings and political machinations. To have the lives of these students and their quest for betterment reflected against the backdrop of the reality of life in Bagdhad is an antidote to the callowness of the mainstream media.

thank you for this.

I have been honored to be part of the team producing this series...yesterday we got an e-mail from the director from Iraqi and I think it needs to be shared..What courage it took all this time as the team in Baghdad put themselves in harms way in order to tell these stories...we deeply thank them and will make sure that they are heard...

From Ziad

"We followed our characters in their homes. We heard their secrets and their terrible miseries that have resulted from the situation in Iraq. We, as a film crew, began to feel that we were all partners in our decisions, crises, fears, depressions, social pressures, security problems and our inclinations to pursue an unknown future. We did our best to observe and capture the events, and not be part of them. However, we felt for a moment that there was nothing separating us from our subjects, except for our technical duties. And we’ve ended up with the same destiny.

When I was shooting one of the subjects as he packed his bag, I could feel my heart shivering. I even began feeling nervous behind the camera. How emotional the thought of packing is! I curse packing and I curse wars! “Where are you going, my friends?” I used to ask them. “Shouldn’t you wait a little more?” But I say to myself and to my memory full of images of war and death, “that’s enough!” My hometown is not safe anymore. I must look for a place where I can prevent my head from rolling in my children’s sights."

Ziad Turkey

We hear so much about Bagdhad but when we only see the bomb blasts and the ruins. We never see the people who are trying to get on with their lives. This is a such rare opportunity.

I felt so badly for the young dentist and am sure that if I were in his shoes I would want to leave as fast as possible. On the other hand, the chance for a moderate democratic state to emerge in Iraq is lessened as each one of the intelligentsia flees Iraq. And so while we understand why the dentist wants to leave and can't blame him. At the same time, one hopes that he stays.

This is the most compelling footage I have seen coming from Baghdad in the past four years. What amazing videos to see, today of all days, on the 4th anniversary of the war. I hope that millions of people see these videos and we remember that these are real people, trying to live real lives. BRAVO!!!!!

It's very interesting perspective to see a "normal" family and/or guys (why only guys?) and the problems thay struggle with. I think it's important to show that side of the story, a more human perspective.

Thanks!

These videos are so moving. I watched all of them, and I felt like crying when they were through. It is so important to see the regular people that are suffering from the hell this war has unleashed. People with lives and dreams, now living in fear and despair, in a terrifying, and in many ways, absurd situation.

Poignant title.

One of Saif's brothers, Mohammed and I shared a class in France a couple of years back. He sent me the link and I have sent it to everyone I know. Fantastic.

Thank you guys and I salute you all for your courage in taking on the voice of your generation and making it real for us out here.

Of course I sincerely thank Salon for being Salon and for this gift of a series. Got to go finish watching... cheers y'all

Fiji Islands (way down in the South Pacific!!)

Thank you so much for this. This series was one of the most moving and enlightning footage I've seen in Iraq. God bless those young men struggling for a normal existance in a situation so horribly un-normal.