MARSHLAND DREAMS

Synopsis:

Iraq's Mesopatamia Marshes had been a vital life force for centuries until Saddam Hussein destroyed them with a devastating military maneuver. Azzam Alwash has taken on the challenge of restoring the marshes to their original splendor.

Narrated by: Robert Redford

Crew:
Director of Photography - Andy Black
Editors - Todd Miro, Graham Deneen
Producer-Director-Writer John Antonelli

Interesting Backstory:
1. This began as a shorter film that was commissioned by the Goldman Environmental Prize for their awards ceremony. I expanded it to six minutes and have been submitting it to film festivals, where it has been getting a very warm reception.

2. Even though we had our visas in advance, we were detained at the airport in Basra for 10 hours. There was suspicion that we would be using our camera to record military maneuvers. Eventually we convinced the customs officers that we were indeed documentary filmmakers and not spies. Once we left the airport and made it to the marshes, it was a dream shoot - cruising on the wetlands for hours every day in the beautiful desert light.