The Black Flag

Majed Neisi

Shi’a Muslims all over Iraq are taking up arms to combat the spread of the Islamic State. Filmmaker Majed Neisi joins a group of militant volunteers who go to war against the fundamentalists.  Armed only with his camera, he takes his audience along on the warpath and documents from a frighteningly close perspective how the Iraqis defend their country tooth and nail.

The bullets ricochet all around in this raw documentary which provides a blatant and direct look from the frontline of the fight in Iraq between Shi’a Muslims and the invading Islamic State. A small town in southern Iraq is occupied by IS soldiers. A group of volunteers is determined to recapture their city, but they face a severe lack of weaponry.

In order to obtain the necessary munitions, explosives and missiles, they are dependent on donations from a benefactor. They negotiate a price over the phone; once the arsenal is delivered, the battle can be unleashed. Accompanied by the brave filmmaker, the militia lands in hostile territory. Explosions go off left and right and enemy snipers are behind every tree. When a mine needs to be disarmed, one of the volunteers asks the cameraman for help. But what does he know about mines?

The film provides an intimate view of the war, which makes the audience witness the grief, laughter, fear, and fatigue of the Iraqis in their bitter fight against IS.

Credits

Director
Majed Neisi
Producer
Majed Neisi, Salar Abdoh
Year
2015
Country of production
Iran, Iraq
Type
Documentary
Duration
62 minutes
Spoken language
Arabic, Persian
Subtitles
EN
Production company
Majed Neisi
World Sales
Journeyman Pictures