We left Cairo on the 6th of January and came back on the 15th.
The visa to shoot in Iraq is not that easy. And you should be aware that if you're there for a period longer then 10days you should do an "Exit Visa" from a security center in Baghdad otherwise you wouldn't be allowed to leave.
The shoot went smoothly. Our Iraqi crew was always overprotective and filled our days in fear. When you have the right security papers you could shoot wherever you like. Sometimes army guys came with us and secured the shoot.
In General the Iraqis where genuine, generous, lovely and very understanding. We where really welcomed everywhere we went ...
Check points are everywhere. we where searched 3 times a day, while we passed 20checkpoint a day or more ...
You loose lots of time in traffic when there's a check point. We lost half a day shoot caused by a curfew where authorities feared an escalade of combats that happened during the night. We where there before Elections so militias where fighting to gain ground ...
Sound Wise Shitty Generators lights up when Electricity cuts; and this happens every 2 hours approximatively.
we're shooting a feature, so there wasn't very good equipment there. Lighting or other...
I had my Block 26 wich worked pretty fine.
And a Last important comment is the way out for the airport: you should think of a margin of 2 to 3 hours for your way there. cause you get stopped and checked more then 5 times. (once by humans, by trained dogs, by Luggage checking, by close search...)
And we waited for 6 hours in the airport cause they couldn't give us the right time flight since it's a bit chaotic at the airport.
PS: Watch out for untrusted people. cause the main danger could come from poor militias who's getting poorer and they're only way to get good money is in Kidnapping.
Great experience, over all. Baghdad is really beautiful, Clean and resistant. Beside everything that's happening there. People are friendly, genuine, and full of life... Reminds me Beirut under siege.
