"Former CIA Officer turned filmmaker Dan Gabriel talks about his documentary film, Mosul. The movie is the story of Iraqi journalist Ali Maula, who follows 100,000 Iraqi soldiers and militiamen into the heart of darkness, where they fight to reclaim the city of Mosul from the evil grip of ISIS. "
Released on May 14, 2019, MOSUL is a documentary film that follows Ali Maula, an Iraqi journalist, as he makes his way from Baghdad to Mosul, the country’s second-largest city, during its occupation by the Islamic State (ISIS). MOSUL depicts the real-life encounters Maula has with members of the various Iraqi militias fighting to liberate the city. Prior to the film’s premiere at the Cleveland International Film Festival in April, The Plain Dealer reviewed MOSUL.
In the review, writer Laura DeMarco calls MOSUL a riveting movie that skillfully conveys the devastation caused by the conflict in Iraq through the lens of those on the ground. DeMarco states that MOSUL eloquently tells the story of the troops and civilian refugees through interviews and combat footage. She applauds director Daniel Gabriel’s ability to create a gripping atmosphere against the backdrop of war. DeMarco added that Gabriel’s background as a former CIA officer added to the "verite approach" of the movie. The review is available here. MOSUL is now available for download at iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, and Vimeo, as well as through cable on demand. Visit https://mosul-film.com for more information. A feature documentary film produced by 2 Rivers Pictures, "MOSUL" tells the story of various Iraqi factions that came together to fight ISIS forces during the ISIS occupation of Mosul, the second-largest city in Iraq. MOSUL debuted at the 2019 Cleveland International Film Festival (CIFF43) in April 2019, and the movie’s director, Dan Gabriel, received a nomination for a Greg Gund Memorial Standing Up Award. MOSUL was received enthusiastically by the film festival-goers, who filled the auditorium on Friday evening and Saturday afternoon.
CIFF43 took place over 12 days at Tower City Cinemas in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. During this period, it presented 237 short films, 213 feature films, five virtual-reality films, and three interactive media submissions. Film projects from 71 countries received screen time at CIFF43. The festival also hosted post-film question-and-answer sessions for more than 400 filmmakers. In the mornings, over 11,000 students from 127 schools attended the event’s media literacy program, FilmSlam. The CIFF43 Roxanne T. Mueller Audience Choice Award for Best Film went to Princess of the Row by American director Van Maximilian Carlson. Audience feedback highlighted MOSUL as a "Veterans' Favorite."
In the wake of 9/11, Dan Gabriel served nearly ten years as a CIA staff operations officer, establishing himself as an authoritative voice on countering violent extremism. Thus, his debut film MOSUL (88 minutes) is directly informed by his experiences living and working in the Arab world during a period of unprecedented turmoil. As the writer, director, and executive director of the feature documentary MOSUL, his understanding of the culture and peoples of Iraq lend an uncommon authenticity to the film.
Iraq’s second-largest city, Mosul, was captured by ISIS in June 2014 - and resisted efforts of coalition of forces to retake the city in 2015, and 2016. A third campaign, the largest assault on a city since the 2003 war in Iraq began, was launched in mid-October 2016 and concluded successfully the following the city’s liberation in July 2017. Following the battle, reports emerged suggesting that more than 10,000 people were killed during the campaign, with hundreds or even thousands more, still buried under the rubble. MOSUL the movie recounts the epic battle for the future of Iraq, from the perspective of those in the thick of the fighting. The audience is brought face to face with the key players: the Kurdish Peshmerga, Sunni tribesmen, Shiite militias, and Christian fighters. Gabriel's bold production embedded film crews with several units of coalition forces, capturing a hundred hours of never-before-seen combat footage from the front lines. MOSUL, scheduled for release May 14, 2019, premiered at the 2019 Cleveland International Film Festival (#CIFF43). |
AuthorMOSUL film highlights human tragedy of ISIS siege. Archives
August 2019
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