By: debbie lynn elias
When it comes to the #1 inspirational film of the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival, look no further than SALAAM DUNK. When it comes to my final #1 Must See Film of the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival Fest, look no further than SALAAM DUNK.
For years many of us have wondered, grumbled, asked “why” is the U.S. liberating Iraq? Who says the people want democracy? Who says they will have a better life thanks to U.S. and allied interference? SALAAM DUNK helps gives us some of those answers along with filling us with hope, joy and inspiration.
Before the invasion, women were never allowed to play sports. There were several “sports clubs” run by the government, a few that allowed women to play, but for the general population, sports were a no no for women. They weren’t allowed to be out on a public street jogging, or playing catch or dribbling a basketball. As we know from history and see on screen, many older generations in Iraq still believe that. They believe that women belong “in the house, cooking” and “on the farms, working.” But with the ouster of Saddam Hussein and ongoing battle for democracy, times are a changing, starting with American University of Iraq in Sulaimani. Erected in Kurdistan due to its distance from Baghdad and the majority of fighting, AUIS embraces and encourages an acceptance of women as students and as athletes. With strict academic standards, AUIS is like any American University. Students are accepted from all over Iraq and are of all ethnicities – Iraqi, Kurd, Shiite and Sunni. The college is co-ed. Dorm life is like that anywhere else. Competitive sports are encouraged, teams are formed, and a low GPA gets you kicked off a team. And for many young women in Iraq, this is now heaven.
Director David Fine takes his cameras to AUIS and introduces us to the wonderful young women who now know the freedoms and restrictions of a whole new world thanks to the game of basketball. Focusing on the girls of the AUIS basketball team during the course of one year, with personal video diaries and regular filming of team activities and the girls’ interactions, Fine shows us an Iraq we don’t get to see, complete with the emotion of those who must leave the past behind and try to find new footing to move forward in an ever changing world.
We meet each of the girls and in some cases, their families, many of whom chose to leave Baghdad because of the bombing. For several girls, their life in Baghdad consisted of walking with security to an all girls school and then going directly home after school with security. There was no shopping at a mall or even the local market. It wasn’t safe. Bombs were exploding across the street. Fire fights broke out in one girl’s neighborhood when it was rumored Saddam was living on the street. Then there are other girls who are Kurds from Northern Iraq. They were taught to hate those who live in Baghdad. And then there are Shiites, Sunnis and even Christians. But amidst this fear, loss and hatred, all of their families (especially the moms) wanted a better life for their daughters. Intimate family portraits are painted with familial gatherings while against the backdrop of basketball, these girls learn about trust, truth, friendship, BFF’s, camaraderie, determination and what it means to be free and “fly”.
Following the team and their beloved American Coach Ryan, we feel their pain with every loss, every aching muscle and sprint, every memory of a lost loved one. We also feel their joy with each victory and see the love and friendship that grows amongst them all. Your heart rejoices and cheers for them and for what the future now holds. And you will smile with each of their smiles. And let’s not discount the visual aspect of the film as Fine’s imagery provides a beauty and sense of community we are not privy to see.
Beautifully told both visually and through the girls’ own words, insightful and inspirational, SALAAM DUNK is a #1 Must See Festival Film and the #1 Must See Inspirational Film of the Fest. And folks, bring tissues. You’re gonna need them.
