POV Community Engagement & Education DISCUSSION GUIDE Nowhere to Hide A Film by Zaradasht Ahmed www.pbs.org/pov LETTER FROM THE FILMMAKER Director Zaradasht Ahmed. My ambition is to let the audience reflect on the human consequences of a brutal Photo courtesy of Fouad Baqi reality where all taboos are violated. With Nowhere to Hide, I want to show that we are all part of this reality made up of war, explosions, victims, terrorism. They affect us globally, and we are all responsible, no matter our geographical whereabouts. Meanwhile, I want to show the human resistance that is growing among survivors and to show the hope of rebuilding after the breakdown of civilization. In the end, as humans, the only thing that can help us survive is to believe that the will to build will always be stronger than the desire to destroy. Zaradasht Ahmed Director, Nowhere to Hide DISCUSSION GUIDE Nowhere to Hide |2 TABLE OF CONTENTS CREDITS 2 Letter from the Filmmaker Writer 4 Introduction Faith Rogow, PhD 5 Potential Partners Insighters Educational Consulting 5 Key Issues Background Research and Reporting 5 Using This Guide Ione Barrows 6 Background Information Associate, Community Engagement and Education, POV 6 Iraq War Guide Producers, POV 7 Iraq War Casualties Alice Quinlan 8 Diyala Province Manager, Community Engagement and Education, POV 10 General Discussion Questions Rachel Friedland 11 Discussion Prompts Community Partnerships Assistant, 14 Taking Action Community Engagement and Education, POV 15 Resources Design: 16 Iraq War Timeline Rafael Jiménez 22 How to Buy the Film Copy Editor: Natalie Danford Thanks to those who reviewed this guide: Zaradasht Ahmed Director, Nowhere to Hide Mette Cheng Munthe-Kaas Producer, Nowhere to Hide The team at the Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) DISCUSSION GUIDE Nowhere to Hide |3 INTRODUCTION Nowhere to Hide (60 min.) follows nurse Nori Sharif in one of Nori filming in central Iraq. the world's most dangerous and inaccessible areas: Diyala Photo courtesy of Zaradasht Ahmed province in Iraq. Filmmaker Zaradasht Ahmed has given Nori a camera to film the survivors of the war, who hope for a better future after the 2011 withdrawal of U.S. troops. But soon a new kind of war erupts: one with invisible enemies, unpredictable battlefronts and no clear rules. Over five years, Sharif turns the camera on his own family as they join the more than 3.5 million Iraqis displaced from their homes and flee to the Sa’ad refugee camp. Hope of returning to life be- fore the American invasion becomes increasingly difficult to sustain. Viewers are left to wonder what will happen next. While news coverage has focused on placing blame for the chaos, Nowhere to Hide turns our attention to everyday Iraqis and lets them tell their stories. DISCUSSION GUIDE Nowhere to Hide |4 POTENTIAL PARTNERS KEY ISSUES Nowhere to Hide is well suited for use in a variety of set- Nowhere to Hide is an excellent tool for outreach and tings and is especially recommended for use with: will be of special interest to people looking to explore the following topics: • Your local PBS station • Groups that have discussed previous PBS and POV • civilian casualties films relating to Iraq, Middle East conflicts, • foreign policy civilians caught in war and citizen journalists, • human rights including My Country, My Country, War Feels Like • international humanitarian law War, Last Men in Aleppo, Return to Homs, The War Show and 5 Broken Cameras • Iraq • Groups focused on any of the issues listed in the • Iraq War “Key Issues” section • medical aid • Academic departments and student groups at • Middle East colleges, universities and high schools • nation-building • Faith-based organizations and institutions • nursing • Cultural, art and historical organizations, • peace studies institutions and museums • politics/political science • Civic, fraternal, veterans and community groups • refugees • High school students, youth groups and clubs • internally displaced people (IDPs) • Community organizations with a mission to • Sunni-Shia conflicts promote education and learning, such as local libraries • tribal identity • U.S. military • U.S. “war on terror” USING THIS GUIDE This guide is an invitation to dialogue. It is based on a belief in the power of human connection, designed for people who want to use Nowhere to Hide to engage family, friends, classmates, colleagues and communities. In contrast to initiatives that foster debates in which participants try to convince others that they are right, this document envisions conversa- tions undertaken in a spirit of openness in which people try to understand one another and expand their thinking by shar- ing viewpoints and listening actively. The discussion prompts are intentionally crafted to help a wide range of audiences think more deeply about the issues in the film. Rather than attempting to address them all, choose one or two that best meet your needs and interests. And be sure to leave time to consider taking action. Planning next steps can help people leave the room feeling energized and optimistic, even in instances when conversations have been difficult. For more detailed event planning and facilitation tips, visit www.pov.org/engage DISCUSSION GUIDE Nowhere to Hide |5 BACKGROUND INFORMATION After filming other Iraqis fleeing violence, Iraq War Nori turns the camera on himself. Photo courtesy of Zaradasht Ahmed The Iraq War began in March 2003, when the United States and a coalition of allies invaded Iraq and overthrew the au- thoritarian regime of Saddam Hussein. American troops oc- cupied Iraq for eight years, attempting to install democracy don’t have the means to escape. As of 2018, almost two mil- and stabilize an increasingly fractured and volatile country. lion Iraqis remain internally displaced people (IDPs). The occupation’s failure to establish an effective govern- For an overview of the major events in the war, see the Iraq ment after Hussein’s ouster led to an extended civil war, as War Timeline at the end of this guide (page 16). various political groups and religious sects struggled for power. These groups include the majority Shiite Arabs, the Sources Sunni Arab insurgency, the Kurds and, in later years, various Arango, Tim. “Iran Dominates in Iraq After U.S. ‘Handed the Country extremist factions such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS. Over.’” The New York Times. July 15, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/15/world/middleeast/iran-iraq- The Iraq War is one of most complex and deadly wars in re- iranian-power.html cent history. Hundreds of thousands of civilians have been killed and as of 2018 the death toll continues to rise. Seven International Organization for Migration. “Iraq Mission Displacement years after U.S. troops officially withdrew, Iraq is the staging Tracking Matrix.” http://iraqdtm.iom.int/IDPsML.aspx ground for ongoing violent conflicts; jihadist militias from elsewhere in the Middle East have crossed the border to join the fray. Although some Iraqis were able to flee the country as refugees, many are living in poverty and DISCUSSION GUIDE Nowhere to Hide |6 BACKGROUND INFORMATION A father mourns his son killed in a bombing. Iraq War Casualties Photo courtesy of Zaradasht Ahmed The exact number of people killed in the Iraq War is un- known. The U.S. military has not published an official death toll, but a number of groups have estimated that nearly 5,000 American troops have died in Iraq since 2003. Mean- to carry out strikes against targets without risking the lives while, hundreds of thousands of Iraqis have been killed or of American soldiers. The U.S. military acknowledged in June wounded in military operations and clashes between rival 2017 that “at least 484 [Iraqi] civilians have been uninten- factions. Iraqi deaths attributable to the conflict from 2003 tionally killed by coalition strikes,” but this figure is far lower to 2011 are estimated to number 400,000—a figure that in- than the estimates of independent groups. One watchdog cludes about 240,000 violent deaths and fatalities caused organization estimates that the civilian death toll due to U.S. indirectly by the war (for example, due to a lack of clean activities is much higher and posits that a minimum of 6,259 drinking water or illnesses that could have been treated if civilians (including Syrians) have been killed by more than the healthcare infrastructure had not been destroyed). Since 14,200 strikes conducted by the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq. the official U.S. operation ended in 2011, it is estimated that an additional 82,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed. Ac- cording to one report, as many civilians have been wounded Sources as were killed in the war. Airwars. “Iraq and Syria.” https://airwars.org/ Although the U.S. is no longer sending troops to Iraq, Amer- Bump, Phillip. ”15 Years After the Iraq War Began, the Death Toll Is Still ican airstrikes have increased since the rise of terrorist Murky” The Washington Post, March 20, 2018. https://www.washing- group ISIS, also known as Daesh or the Islamic State, in tonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/03/20/15-years-after-it-began-the 2014. Drone-operated missiles allow the U.S. military -death-toll-from-the-iraq-war-is-still-murky/?utm_term=.86566cb5df73 DISCUSSION GUIDE Nowhere to Hide |7 BACKGROUND INFORMATION Nori's family fled to the Sa'ad camp for Crawford, Neta C. “Costs of War: Iraqi Civilians.” Brown University displaced persons (IDPs). Watson Institute of International & Public Affairs. Photo courtesy of Zaradasht Ahmed http://watson.brown.edu/costsofwar/costs/human/civilians/iraqi iCasualties. “Operation Enduring Freedom.” http://icasualties.org/ U.S. Central Command. “Combined Joint Task Force—Operation Diyala Province Inherent Resolve Monthly Civilian Casualty Report.” Diyala province is a governorate in eastern Iraq that starts http://www.centcom.mil/MEDIA/PRESS-RELEASES/Press-Release- northeast of Baghdad and extends to the Iranian border.