| Description | Papers relating to Iraqi culture, with topics covered including Paul Vallely on the absence of history in Baghdad - 'Oil stains a city of flying carpets' - small articles on the Iraqi book trade, public libraries, an opera house and postal museum, a Baghdad Observer supplement on the relationship between artistic culture and the anniversary of the July Revolution, two articles (1987 and 1988) from the Baghdad Observer focussing on the Iraqi Fashion House, reports on looted Iraqi art treasures, several articles from the Baghdad Observer on cinema: 'Woman's Role in Iraqi Cinema' (1983) which offers a quick survey of how women are portrayed in fourteen films between 1948 and 1983, 'War Film Production in Iraq' (1985) with details of several recent films, 'Iraqi Cinema under the Revolution' (1986) and two short features on 'Clash of Loyalties' aka 'The Great Question' (1983/1987), plus a photocopied article from 'The Middle East' (November 1980) on state investment in the Iraqi film industry, and a newspaper photograph from 1980 showing the new premises for The State Organization of Cinema and Theatre. Other cuttings report on film production, film festivals, a profile of director Saheb Haddad, 'Converting Hollywood to Islam' (Sunday Times, 1980) on Syrian film-maker Moustapha Akkad, and a Wall Street Journal feature on the opening of Iraq's first independent film studio, the Babylon Moive and Television Production Company. |