Iraqi Renaissance (1) New Artistic Freedoms Hailed

LFIQ starts a new series of posts on the rebirth of the arts in Iraq. We urge our Iraqi readers to send us stories. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that “Iraqi film and TV producers are enjoying artistic freedom following decades of censorship and two years of U.S. occupation. Actors, filmmakers and TV producers -- with a dozen new private TV channels to work with -- are turning out soap operas, situation comedies, dramas and reality shows. For the first time, Iraqi TV is taking on issues of social injustice, government corruption and even life under former dictator Saddam Hussein. "Underexposure" -- described as Iraq's first postwar feature-length film -- focuses on a generation of young artists coping with the U.S. occupation. "Departure," a TV serial that premiered last month, is an account of a gangster family that deals in stolen antiquities after the 2003 fall of Baghdad. One character on "Departure" is thrown in jail just before the U.S. invasion for insulting Hussein. The Times said it was the first time that an Iraqi entertainment program has negatively depicted life under Hussein…one of the biggest TV hits is "Caricature," an irreverent sketch comedy show” (AJ).