IMMORTALS

Over the years since the 2003 regime established in Iraq, uprisings have been assembled by the Iraqi youth to combat injustice and secure a new non-sectarian, honest government. Youths Milo and Khalili provide eyewitness accounts as activists, taking control of their narrative even as their circumstances and future are uncertain and rife with political turmoil.

Through a seamless fusion of front-line protest footage and dramatized re-enactments, director Maja Tschumi establishes a discerning viewpoint of the socio-political climate in contemporary Iraq, illustrating the despair, dwindling hope and overwhelming frustrations felt by so many of its citizens. 

Attentively composed, painterly shots demonstrate the beauty within Baghdad’s landscape, and the empathy within youth relationships; while Khalili’s Go-pro camera archive captures the urgency and brutality behind the confrontations, as well as the shared optimism, bravery, and resolution of the youth resistance. These images are complemented by the film’s striking use of sound, which immerses the viewer in the intense, unpredictable atmosphere.

Immortals is a vital record of the sincerity and beauty that is all too easily lost to conflict, and the complex dilemma of balancing personal security with societal rebellion. It exemplifies the evocative power of observational filmmaking, its storytelling, and close creative collaboration with subjects.