Watch Nice Bombs

Nice Bombs is a documentary film directed by Usama Alshaibi, which was released in 2006. The film centers around the experiences of the director's own family, and their journey back to their homeland of Iraq, which had been ravaged by war after the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. The documentary opens with an introduction of Usama Alshaibi and his family, whom he hadn't seen in over 24 years before he decided to visit them in Baghdad in 2004. Alshaibi, who fled Iraq with his family when he was just a child, has always felt a strong connection with his roots, and after an absence of more than two decades, he was keen to see for himself the situation in Iraq after the fall of the Hussein regime.

Throughout the course of the film, the viewers are given a front-row seat to the emotional and physically challenging experiences of Alshaibi's family, as they try to navigate the dangerous and unpredictable situation in the war-torn country. The movie begins with Alshaibi in Chicago and planning his journey back to Baghdad, where he is reunited with his family. He comes face-to-face with all the complexities that they have been living with in a time of chaos - power cuts are common occurrences, water is scarce, and there are explosions going off regularly in the city. Despite all these challenges, Alshaibi and his family try to maintain a sense of normalcy in their daily routines.

Alshaibi captures breathtaking views of Baghdad through his camera lens, taking us on a journey through the city's streets, markets, and neighborhoods. We see the resilience of the Iraqi people, who despite living in an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, come together to support one another. There are scenes depicting the effects of the war on ordinary Iraqi citizens, such as a man who lost his leg in an explosion and a family who lost their son. Through these scenes, we get a sense of the enormity of the crisis that the country faced in the aftermath of the war.

Moreover, a powerful theme emerges in the film - the reconciliation of past memories and present realities. Alshaibi’s family members recount stories about their past experiences of life under the Hussein regime, the torture they endured, and the friends and family they lost. Memory becomes an essential tool to make sense of the present situation, especially considering the breakdown of law and order and the increased violence that has come with it.

The documentary highlights Alshaibi's own story, including his family's struggles as immigrants in America and his discontent with a world that has made Muslims the object of fear and suspicion. It's this personal connection that makes Nice Bombs so moving, as the director weaves together his personal journey with the larger story of a nation at war.

Alshaibi skillfully balances the documentary's focus on his family, while simultaneously crying out against the injustices of war, as well as promoting peace, unity, and understanding among cultures. The themes presented throughout the documentary, such as conflict, displacement, and loss, force us to reflect on our place and role in this world.

In conclusion, Nice Bombs is a beautifully made documentary about a family, a country, and a people who have been ravaged by war. The film is an intimate portrait of one family's journey back to their homeland, and the challenges and growth that come with that experience. It is a powerful and thought-provoking work that raises questions about the consequences of war on ordinary people's lives. Ultimately, the documentary is a message of hope, a plea for peace in places that have known only conflict, and a call for political action to ensure that we do not continue down a path of destruction, but rather build a world of unity and understanding.