Baghdad -

The Iraqi drama process stumbled a lot after 2003, but it witnessed a relative recovery in recent years, as the private sector, including channels and art companies, took over the production of series that received a lot of response and response inside Iraq.

However, many of these works were overshadowed by the political aspect, and the stories of the struggle for power and the financial and administrative corruption that control the joints of the state became fertile material for the production of works that mimic this reality or strongly criticize it.

In the past Ramadan, Iraqi channels showed a number of soap operas of a political nature.

Some of them dealt with the events of the October 2019 anti-corruption protests, while others shed light on political money and its control over government decision, and the conflict of influential parties and forces to control the centers of power and authority in the country.

Social drama was not absent from the Iraqi screen after some "bored" of politics (Al-Jazeera)

Among the most prominent works in which politics was a main focus are the series "Watan", which dealt with the story of a protester and his persecution by some anti-movement parties, and the series "The Deep State", which tells stories of rampant corruption in state institutions and its relationship with party men, and the penetration of political money in The joints of governance inside Iraq, while the series "What a Homeland Has Died", monitored cases that tell of the relationship between the citizen and politicians and the promises of power during the electoral campaigns.

Rola Adel: Politics occupies a large part of Iraqis' thinking and daily conversations (Al-Jazeera)

crowd reaction

Actress Rola Adel, who played one of the starring roles in the series "Watan", says that this role brought her very close to the Iraqi society, when she played the role of the wife of the hero of the series protesting against the general situation in the country, with all the anger, sadness, joy and pampering the role brought;

Through the hero's relationship with his wife, which reflected a human side full of love and tenderness;

Contrary to his role with those he sees as opponents of the homeland;

she said.

Rola adds to Al Jazeera Net that politics occupies a large part of Iraqis' thinking and their daily dialogues, which deals with corruption and its impact on public life, which made the series achieve great interaction in the Iraqi street, especially with modern technologies in its filming and directing, and "what it included of action and romantic scenes." And imagination, which made the viewer interact with it greatly and wait for it to be shown daily.

She points out that the competition between the various Iraqi works this season will push towards a more robust and sedate production, in terms of scripts, script, production and directing, in addition to the emergence of new faces that will be more acceptable and influential;

Inside and outside Iraq in the coming years.

Al-Nuaimi: Most of the political series have certain agendas behind them, and they are intended to be "blackmail" (Al-Jazeera)

The Ceiling of Freedom and "Agendas"

But what is said about the high ceiling of freedom in dealing with politics and public affairs in Iraq is not an agreed upon matter, as recent years have witnessed cases of assault, lawsuits and protests against artists or series, accused of offending certain parties or “distorting the image” of some personalities, which made writers and producers Institutions that produce dramatic works "walk over a field of mines," according to art critic Haider Al-Nuaimi.

Al-Nuaimi believes that the Iraqi reality is full of political and security events that make it a rich material for building stories that deal with drama, but most of these series “are behind certain agendas from the owner of the channel or the owner of the institution, and it is intended from political blackmail; by highlighting some of the opponents of this institution, until the owner acquiesces The party or the money depends on the institution’s conditions and deals with it financially, so that they stop addressing it or targeting it in the news and drama.”

Al-Nuaimi points out that the Iraqis watched local dramas before 2003 that dealt with the fragility of the security establishment and the criminals’ victory over it, especially in the series “Wolves of the Night.” There were works that spoke about the recruitment of Iraqis as spies, as well as the issue of extreme poverty that harmed Iraqis during the siege period. Red streaks covered.

After 2003, many assumed that the ceiling of freedom had risen;

However, the new works have become very reticent about criticizing the clergy, and the matter has reached the point of fearing the use of costumes with a sectarian dimension, such as black and white.

Also, highlighting the personality of any clan sheikh, officer, or security element appears in the drama;

It can provoke a lot of unrest and violent reactions;

As an "insult to these personalities", the red lines became many, and this emptied this freedom of its content, according to Al-Nuaimi.

Al-Bidani: Many authors and producers prefer not to go into the details of politics for fear of threats (Al-Jazeera)

Courts and threats

In the past four years, the risks faced by actors and workers in the artistic field increased in response to some acts of a political nature, and there were many cases of resorting to the courts or threats to artists, channel owners and art production companies.

Academic and director Hikmat Al-Baidani sheds light on a problem that many artists suffer in Iraq today, as they sometimes have to face many risks;

independently of the channel or the producer.

Al-Baydani adds to Al Jazeera Net that many authors and producers prefer not to go into the details of the political works they present for fear of potential threats based on accusing the producers of targeting politicians and partisan forces, which prompted many channels to turn towards social works in recent years, In addition, the street has become more receptive and interactive with it, after a state of general boredom with politics that plagued many.

Al-Baydani pointed out that artists and producers sometimes use indirect messages to indicate the current situation;

It can be understood without going into its details, because the concept of freedom is still restricted and unclear, as he put it.