University of Arkansas at Little Rock

The UALR chapter of Amnesty International will present a series of documentary films in October focusing on the U.S. military presence in Iraq and the impact of the war on the Iraqi people. A panel discussion will follow each film.

Admission is free, and the public is welcome.

The films include:

• “Haditha: Rules of Engagement;” 7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 8; Donaghey Student Center Room 6. A closer look at the rules of engagement, how they intersect with a soldier’s inherent right to self-defense and how they’re interpreted in theory and in practice- particularly in the counterinsurgency in Iraq. What do we know about civilian deaths in Iraq? Where’s the line between casualties of war and cold-blooded murder? How is the civilian death count calculated? And what reparations are being paid to the families of civilians killed by U.S. forces?
• “My Country, My Country;” 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15; Dickinson Hall Auditorium. This film was motivated by a sense of despair about the contradictions of the U.S. occupation of Iraq and its project to implement democracy in the Middle East through the use of military force. Laura Poitras, film director, wanted to understand these contradictions from the perspective of the people living them, on the ground.  Winner of the Inspiration Award at the Full Frame Film Festival, Nominee- Independent Spirit Award, Nominee- Pare Lorentz Award of the International Documentary Association, Official Selection- New Directors of the New Film Festival, Official Selection- Berlin International.
• “Iraq in Fragments;” 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24; Dickinson Hall Auditorium. American director James Longley spent more than two years filming in Iraq to create this stunningly photographed, poetically rendered documentary of the war-torn country as seen through the eyes of Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds. Winner of Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing awards in the Sundance Film Festival documentary competition, the film was also awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.

For more information, contact Dr. Jacek Lubecki at jxlubecki@ualr.edu or 501.683-7059.