The Public Square at the IHC and the Music Box Theater co-sponsor this screening of My Country, My Country, and a question and answer session with the Director, Laura Poitras.

My Country, My Country (2006, 90min., In Arabic, English and Kurdish with English subtitles) follows the agonizing predicament and gradual descent of one man caught in the tragic contradictions of the U.S. occupation of Iraq and its project to spread democracy in the Middle East. Following the January 2005 Iraqi elections, the story unfolds through the eyes of Dr. Riyadh, a medical doctor, devout Sunni Muslim, father of six, and Sunni political candidate. Working alone in Iraq for eight months, Poitras captures a rare look inside the world of Iraqis living under U.S. occupation.

“Laura Poitras’s film depicts the way in which managing perception of the ongoing war is as vital as any battlefield success or failure.” -Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

“In 90 captivating minutes, Laura Poitras’ extraordinary documentary My Country, My Country gives you a greater understanding of the situation in Iraq than you’d get from 100 hours of Fox News or CNN.” -Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times

Laura Poitras, Director of My Country, My Country will visit the Public Square for a question and answer session after the 6:00 PM screening. Laura received a Peabody Award for her last documentary, Flag Wars (2003), which she co-directed, produced, and filmed. Find out more about the film at the official site.

Tickets can be purchased in person at the Music Box Theater (cash only). There is a $3.25 discount of the regular ticket price ($9.25) for this screening when you mention “Public Square” at the door.

For more information, please call 312.422.5580 or visit musicboxtheater.com.

This event is part of Civic Cinema, a Public Square at the IHC project. Civic Cinema is an exhilarating series of films, forums, and conversations. Civic Cinema uses the most exceptionally creative and engaging documentary films of our times to help communities talk about the most pressing social issues facing us. The documentaries we screen and discuss challenge many of the mainstream representations of critical social issues. Art, in this case, becomes a way of thinking about how history and truth are represented and a way of promoting media literacy.

For more information, please contact The Public Square at the IHC at 312.422.5580.