Memories on Stone

Hussein and Alan, who live in post-war Iraq, are determined to make a movie about Anfal, the military operation against the Kurds in the eighties. But their undertaking seems doomed because of their limited budget, a cocky pop star and a leading actress that is weighed down by her uncle and cousin.

As a little boy in Iraq, filmmaker Hussein witnessed how soldiers cleared the Kurdish cinema where his father worked. Now, he wants to make a film about Anfal, the military operation that was launched in the eighties, killing over 182,000 Kurds.

Together with his friend Alan he sets up a film crew. But making a movie in post-war Iraq isn’t all that easy. Their budget is hardly sufficient and finding a female lead seems impossible. Eventually they find Sinur, whose own father was killed during Anfal; but her protective cousin and uncle stand in the way. Then there are the male lead with starlike airs, the lack of trust from the local population and opposition from the authorities

Although they run out of time and money, Hussein and Alan are determined to finish the movie. But will their project ever make it to the big screen?