{"id":196647,"date":"2026-07-08T17:10:37","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T17:10:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/196647\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T17:10:37","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T17:10:37","slug":"dusty-theaters-new-dreams-iraq-seeks-cinematic-revival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/iran\/196647\/","title":{"rendered":"Dusty theaters, new dreams: Iraq seeks cinematic revival"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the heart of old Baghdad, legendary movie theaters stand abandoned and shrouded in dust, bearing witness to Iraq’s once-vibrant cultural scene.<\/p>\n

A few kilometers away, director Ali al-Bayati oversees his camera operators as they adjust their lenses for a scene in his upcoming horror film, which he hopes to showcase internationally as a new generation of Iraqi filmmakers drives an industry comeback.<\/p>\n

Momentum is building, bolstered by recent international recognition for the Iraqi film “The President’s Cake<\/a>,” which captures life under sanctions during Saddam Hussein’s rule.<\/p>\n

“Reviving the cinema sector in Iraq is not easy, but it is not impossible either,” Bayati told Agence France-Presse (AFP).<\/p>\n

For decades, Iraq’s cultural and cinematic scenes flourished.<\/p>\n

Film production in Iraq began in the 1940s \u2013 notably with titles co-produced with Egypt \u2013 reaching its peak in the 1950s.<\/p>\n

Among the most celebrated productions of that era was Kameran Hosni’s film “Said Effendi” (1956), a work recently restored as part of the Iraqi Cinematheque project supported by France and screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 2025.<\/p>\n

But then everything changed.<\/p>\n

Baghdad’s old movie theaters that once drew film enthusiasts are now barely standing, with their faded walls, old doors and broken signs.<\/p>\n

Dilapidated shops crowd the entrance to the Granada Cinema, with clothes hanging directly on the street. Other theaters have been repurposed as warehouses, with a few old movie posters still clinging to their walls.<\/p>\n


\n \"Wareth
\n <\/a>
\n Wareth Kwaish, a filmmaker and cultural project manager dedicated to preserving and promoting Iraq’s cinematic heritage, inspects a film reel at the National Centre for Archives and Iraqi Memory, Baghdad, Iraq, Feb. 5, 2026. (AFP Photo) <\/p>\n

The old and the new <\/p>\n

In recent years, a fragile stability has begun to revive the Iraqis’ appetite for entertainment and return focus to Baghdad’s cultural scene.<\/p>\n

Authorities seized the opportunity last year, launching an initiative to support 58 film projects.<\/p>\n

But the funding pool is just $4 million, an amount that would fund only a single project in other countries, said Wareth Kwaish of the government-led initiative.<\/p>\n

Authorities are also working to recover Iraq’s historic cinema archive in the country and abroad.<\/p>\n

And Baghdad has signed cinematic cooperation agreements with France to support its film industry.<\/p>\n

Still, the industry remains short on funding and support, making every production a gamble.<\/p>\n

Filmmakers rely on small grants, said Bayati, who hopes to market his movie in the U.S. and European countries and is among those who benefited from government funding.<\/p>\n

The key for him is gaining the trust of Iraqi audiences to “generate revenues that would lead to sustainability in work and production,” he said.<\/p>\n

Most Iraqi moviegoers today frequent multi-screen theaters in shopping malls where Hollywood and Egyptian movies dominate the screens, rather than the classic venues.<\/p>\n

Syrian filmmaker Abdulhadi al-Rakeb, who made a documentary about Iraq’s old movie theaters, said their closure has led to “the disappearance of a culture of watching films in theaters and, as a result, a decline in the very idea of filmmaking.”<\/p>\n

‘Cautiously optimistic’ <\/p>\n

Recently, “The President’s Cake,” the Iraqi film that won a prize at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival last year<\/a>, finally started screening in Iraq.<\/p>\n

The movie follows the story of a young girl selected to bake a cake for Saddam’s birthday at a time when sanctions made it almost impossible to find the ingredients.<\/p>\n

Although the movie was shot in Iraq, the production faced many challenges.<\/p>\n

Director Hasan Hadi said a shortage of experienced Iraqi film crews forced him to bring in European professionals.<\/p>\n

“The local crew were not aware of international standards” and the foreign crew was unfamiliar with the local cultural context, which created “more problems for us,” he said.<\/p>\n

According to Hadi, the lack of local crews is one of several reasons Iraqi filmmakers have been unable to work in their own country.<\/p>\n

He believes the sector needs workshops to develop local talent, increased funding and better overall organization.<\/p>\n

“I am cautiously optimistic,” Hadi said.<\/p>\n

“There are more people who want to tell their stories and make films, but not enough resources.”<\/p>\n

\"\"\/<\/p>\n

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