Saddam Hussein for Library Distribution

Saddam Hussein...The Master of Baghdad

The Untold Story of the Man and the Myth

A Film by Michel Vuillermet and Jean Pierre Beaurenaut  

A Feature Documentary Produced by Les Films du Village in association with Planet Group Entertainment. Running Time: 01:44

The infamous, iron-fisted despot was born craving power, as were his brutal sons. His fate and the story of his country are deftly revealed in this film.

In the cities and surrounding countryside of Iraq, many old buildings and crossroads still display the remnants of  the tens of thousands of giant portraits that glorified Saddam Hussein. Today, they are faded by the sun, worn by the weather, and tattered like posters from a long forgotten film, featuring a withered star.

But the star’s power over the people had seemed irreversible. Before, during and shortly after the Iraq War of 2003, in the world beyond Baghdad, his ability to threaten had not faltered…like a bad guy in a comic strip.

This stereotyped image of a monolithic and unfathomable tyrant, the embodiment of sheer evil, is the starting point of SADDAM. It helps to present the simplistic side of the character, but hiding behind this mask is a complex personality who stopped at nothing...even killing his own people to gain and hold on to power.

The history of Iraq teaches that dictators and their regimes don’t just pop into place. Not born a dictator, Saddam became one under special circumstances. His fate and the story of his country are deftly revealed in this film. Exploring the development of his personality, from his early days in the embryonic Iraqi Ba’ath Party to the present is the essence of the presentation.  Clips from Iraqi news and propaganda films highlight the circumstance, uncovering the nature of the situation, and the Nazi-like skills used to influence the people. The Producers  accessed a Saddam ‘feature film’ released in Baghdad, before the war, to highlight his terrifying stranglehold.

SADDAM opens and dissects Hussein’s incredible ability to survive for years in spite of the ruination of his own country. Elements in the film include propaganda materials, confidential and secret documents spirited out of the country, testimonies with politicians and exiled former followers and personalities from the world stage who have dealt directly with the man. The original SADDAM was produced and released in 2003, just prior to the start of the war. Then, "SADDAM, The Final Chapter" was completed in October 2004. It incorporates his capture and elements leading to his trial.

This award-winning film was produced in Paris has been broadcast world-wide, but oddly it was never broadcast in the United States.  Much of the archival footage used in the film was secretly spirited out of Iraq before the start of the war from television authorities that were subsequently ransacked. The film is a must for a full understanding of Saddam the man, his power, and the situation of Iraq during the balance of power years between the Soviets and Americans, both, very anxious for his attention and influence.

Screen the Trailer Here:

SADDAM HUSSEIN...THE MASTER OF BAGHDAD_TRAILER_1080_EN.MP4 from sarasotafringefilms on Vimeo.

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A Note About Our Academic and Institutional Pricing

Educational DVD with PPR: $150

Anytime you want to screen a film on campus, Public Performance Rights (PPR) need to be obtained. Copyright law (USC 17§101) defines a public performance as occurring in a public space or if it is in any place if "a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its acquaintances" is gathered there. This would include classrooms, meeting rooms, auditoriums, dorm lounges, etc. However, copyright law (USC 17§110) also provides an exception for face-to-face teaching activities in a nonprofit educational institution.

Personal DVD or File Download: $24.50

Digital Site License with PPR: $200

A DSL grants educational institutions and/or non-profit organizations a limited license to host and stream a film online to students, faculty and staff on their password-protected server. This license is granted for three years. The key advantage of purchasing a DSL is that once uploaded, an unlimited number of viewers can access the film from multiple locations simultaneously.

DVD + DSL bundle PPR: $225

K-12, Non-profit, Public Library with PPR: $125