Civilians, journalists and soldiers from both sides of the conflict explain their experience during the Iraq War, from the 2003 invasion through the 17 years that followed. Edited version from "Once Upon a Time in Iraq" (2020)
Editing
Seamless weaving of soldier and civilian testimony—no heroes, only humans.
Direction
Bluemel lets silence do the talking when words fail.
Director
James Bluemel
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during Trump's 2020 'end endless wars' rhetoric, it became a grim corrective to sanitized military nostalgia.
The title's fairy-tale framing is deliberate—director James Bluemel wanted to evoke childhood stories corrupted by adult violence, mirroring how young Iraqis lost their futures to occupation and insurgency.
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