Recently nominated for an International Emmy® Award, Iraq’s Lost Generation focuses on the fate of children whose fathers fought in the name of the Islamic State and who are now excluded from Iraqi society and left to fend for themselves. Through the prism of numerous testimonies, this documentary raises questions about the reconstruction of a country following a conflict of this nature. Gorka Gallier, head of international sales and acquistions at Cinétévé Sales, and Anne Poiret, director, talk about the commitment that this documentary represents for them and its international success.
Unifrance: Can you tell us about how the project came about? How did you decide to treat the particular angle of this generation left behind after the war in Iraq?
: This project is in keeping with the editorial approach defended by Cinétévé, which encompasses subjects that are topical, sensitive, and politically or socially committed. For several years now, we have been devoting documentaries to Islamist radicalization and the means to curb it, thanks to the renewed support of France Télévisions. In 2016, in Revenantes, the director Marion Stalens focused on the paths of French women returning from Jihad, who provided elements of response to their recruitment. In 2020, in Daech, les enfants du soupçon, Sophie Parmentier and Hélène Lam Trong questioned the future of the children of radicalized French parents and their return to our territory.
During the shoot in Iraq, we were alerted to the fate of these twenty thousand "children of IS" abandoned by all, who often find themselves left to their own devices. It seemed to us essential to broaden the spectrum to give a voice this time to these children of Iraq, who have only known war, victims and instruments of a sectarian and geopolitical crisis that is beyond them. We financed an investigation and contacted Anne Poiret, whom we knew through her films, which regularly win awards at festivals. She had just finished a documentary for Arte entitled Mossoul, après la guerre, in which she questioned the city's reconstruction and the means of inventing a new "living together" in the midst of the rubble. During the filming, she was confronted with the dramatic fate of the children of Islamic State families, living in the city's outskirts. She brilliantly took hold of our initial reflections to write Iraq’s Lost Generation.
What new gaze does this documentary bring to bear on the situation in Iraq? Did you manage to make local connections?
GG: This documentary sheds light on the fate of the children of dead or missing IS fighters, on the run or trapped in Iraqi prisons. A whole generation excluded from the reconciliation process, denied identity papers, schooling, medical care... The children pay for the choices their fathers made and go to ground, like malevolent ghosts. Among these victims, some are former soldiers, indoctrinated and left to fend for themselves, without any support, who, if not reintegrated into Iraqi society, risk becoming a threat to the international community. Deeply stigmatized, often traumatized by the fighting or their past as child soldiers, they grow up in disturbing ignorance. Yet these children are part of the future of this damaged country. Who will take care of them? What will they become if not prey for the next radical group?
Anne Poiret: In the 15 years that I've been interested in the post-conflict theme, I've learned one thing: future conflicts arise from poorly managed post-war situations that we turn away from. Today, the media frenzy surrounding the conflict in Iraq has subsided, and world news has taken over. Political interest has also dissipated with the end of the fighting, and international opinion no longer seems interested in the children of Iraq. Yet it is precisely in this blind spot that things are at stake: unattended, a generation of children is being abandoned to hatred and fanaticization. Iraq is a resilient country. Childhood is resilient: but until when?
Who are the partners involved in the project? How did you convince them to come onboard?
GG: There are numerous partners. In addition to France Télévisions, which strongly supported the project from the start, several international broadcasters were secured during the production phase. Our targeted mailing outreach, the creation of a marketing campaign dedicated to the project, and our presence at numerous sales markets and pitches have been essential tools for the project's promotion and circulation. In particular, our selection for the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) pitches, during which we were able to present and defend the program to international public broadcasters, was a real incubator. Indeed, this presentation allowed us not only to secure a significant number of European pre-purchases, but also to convince other non-European broadcasters to support the project.
A genuine commitment is expressed with this documentary. How do you envisage its distribution and exhibition?
It's a strong film, showing a reality often hidden and yet essential to the understanding of the conflict and reconstruction of a country devastated by war. Although the film's distribution and broadcast takes the classic path of the partner television channels, participation in festivals and presentations via the institutional circuit seemed just as important to us. These screenings indeed offer the potential of relaying the film's urgent wake up call, allowing the debate to extend beyond television broadcasts.
To date, the film has been selected for 15 international festivals and has won nine awards. We also had the privilege and honor of screening the film at the United Nations in New York, at the invitation of the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict. This clearly demonstrates the existence of a strong demand from these so-called non-commercial circuits to alert the greatest number of people and raise their awareness about the critical situation experienced by tens of thousands of children in Iraq, collateral victims of the conflict.
Iraq's Lost Generation has already been widely exported internationally. Can you tell us more about your strategy and how the film has been received?
GG: Nearly 20 broadcasters from different countries and zones (Europe, North America, Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East) have either pre-purchased the film or acquired it after viewing a first cut. These national or pan-regional screenings allow us to say that the film has benefited from a worldwide exposure, which is a real success. The feedback from our partners following the program's broadcast has, for the most part, been very positive. We have already renewed the rights with some of the broadcasters following the successful ratings on their respective channels. The film's life internationally is therefore far from over, especially since several channels are still studying a possible acquisition. The goal of broadcasting and continuing to circulate the film as widely as possible has therefore largely been achieved at this stage.
The documentary was nominated for an International Emmy® Award. Do you think this selection is beneficial for taking the program to new territories? What positive repercussions can it have?
This is excellent news for the film as this nomination obviously gives it additional exposure, while confirming its international and prestigious stature, thus counting among the major and unmissable documentaries of the year 2021. Yes, we hope that this nomination will allow us to penetrate markets/territories that are still "open," such as the United States. We are continuing our dialogue with some of the broadcasters in this territory.
The nomination is not only a genuine acknowledgement of the great work done by the director Anne Poiret and the Cinétévé team, but also a recognition of French production know-how. With eight French programs nominated this year, we are indeed proud to be able to show the world France's ambition and capacity in terms of creation and production. It is a realm internationally oriented and with which one can work, thanks to a wealth of talent on the one hand, and thanks to the passion that drives all the actors in the audiovisual and cinematographic sectors on the other: authors, directors, producers, broadcasters, public institutions, but also distributors, essential links and relays in the life of a film.
