BAGHDAD IN MY SHADOW

Taufik, an old failed poet, who has a nephew Nasseer to whom he is like a father, Amal, an aspiring architect who escaped her abusive husband, member of the Saddam Hussein’s secret service, and Muhanad, IT-specialist, clandestine gay, meet at the Abu Navas Cafe, a popular hangout for Iraqi exiles in London. Of late, however, Nasseer and Taufik have become estranged as Nasseer turns to radical Islam, instigated by the preacher of an Islamist mosque. Under pressure to choose between two paths, he turns everyone’s life upside down.

FURAT AL-DŽAMIL SAMIR / FURAT AL-JAMIL SAMIR

Furat al-Jamil Samir was born in 1955 in Baghdad, Iraq. He migrated with his family to Switzerland in the 60s. After studying at the School of Arts in Zurich, he worked as an apprentice typographer. In the late 70s, he trained for a cameraman. First works as freelance author and director was in 1982. Today Samir is well known for his unique fiction, documentary and experimental films, whose innovative character drew attention at various festivals and won numerous awards. His work to this day encompasses more than 40 short and full-length feature films for cinema and television. In the 90s he also worked as a director for national and international broadcasters. In 1994 he took over Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion with filmmaker Werner Schweizer and producer Karin Koch. Based in Zurich, it builds up new Swiss film talents. Beside his own projects as an independent producer and director, he regularly directs theatre plays and works in the field of visual arts.