JEWS AND ARABS A filmic reflection about the stereotypes of "the Jew" and " the Arab" through one hundred years of film, linked with the biographies of four extraordinary people: Iraqui-Jewish communists. Jewish Arabs? Arabic Jews? Sephradim? Mizrahim? In the last few years a lively debate has taken place in Israel, led principally by Mizrahi intellectuals (the oriental Jews). The focus of their criticism is the policy of alienating and instrumentalizing Oriental Jews through the colonialist demands of Israels European-influenced founding generation. As the child of Iraqi immigrants to Switzerland, Samir as a filmmaker is focussing on questions of alienation and the construction of identity. His film follows life stories of four very special people: Shimon Ballas, Jewish professor of Arabic in Tel Aviv who participates in the pro-Palestinian civil rights movement. Sami Michael, bestselling writer from Haifa who broke with the communists as early as 1955. Moshe Houri, a wealthy kiosk owner and building contractor who still votes communist. Samir Naqqash, the only one of them who writes his books still in Arabic. Even though he won a lot of prices for his work, no editor wants to publish his books anymore. Neither in the Arabic World nor in Israel... All were influenced in their youth by the internationalism of the Iraqi Communist Party. As Arab Jews, in the early 1950s their religious background put them at odds with rising Arab nationalism, which they had  through their political work  paradoxically supported. In fleeing to Israel they found themselves between a rock and a hard place: there, as communists, they were again treated as outsiders and were regarded with suspicion. Although they considered themselves part of the Arab world, they were forced to assimilate and adopt a new culture. FORGET BAGHDAD is an entertaining film made up of unusual life stories, a sprinkling of intellectual reflections, and ironic interruptions in the form of clips from the history of fiction film. > Website > Download press kit (PDF)		Documentary, 2002 112 min., 35mm Original version: English / arab / hebrew with english subtitles Written & directed by: Samir Photography: Nurith Aviv, Philippe Bellaiche Editor: Nina Schneider, Samir Protagonists: Ella Shohat, Shimon Ballas, Sami Michael, Moshe Houri, Samir Naqqash Premiere: 55. Int. Filmfestival Locarno, «Semaine de la critique» Festivals: Locarno International Film Festival, IDFA Amsterdam, Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival Tribeca Film Festival, Jerusalem International Film Festival, Soeul Human Rights Film Festival , San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival, Boston Jewish Film Festival, San Francisco Jewish Film Festival Awards: «Price of the Critics Week», Locarno«1st Prize», Rotterdam Arab Film Festival Production: Dschoint Ventschr Filmproduktion Co-production: TagTraum, Köln; SF DRS, Zürich; WDR, Köln Producer: Samir and Karin Koch