A Wedding in Basra (1998)

The people of Iraq live in an atmosphere of constant confrontation. At home, under Saddam Hussein, they are terrorized by one of the most repressive regimes on earth. At the same time they cope with the devastating consequences of economic sanctions intended by foreign powers to force Saddam from power. Against this troubled background, Arthur Kent travels to Basra, the "smiling face of Iraq", to witness the wedding of an ordinary young Iraqi couple. The remarkable dignity and courage of Ali and Sahar and their families stand in stark contrast to the insidious threats posed by Saddam and his secret police, the Mukhabarat. As UN weapons inspectors search the country for evidence of the regime's weapons programs, the timeless traditions of a proud people somehow survive - in the full knowledge that a return to war is virtually inevitable.