BAGHDAD - On a studio set in Baghdad, a director watches the star of his TV series hold a knife against the neck of a fellow actor, in a dramatic revival of fortunes for Iraq’s entertainment industry.
The series tackles sensitive issues of prostitution, drug use and human trafficking, topics that drew censure from some lawmakers and members of the public in the religiously conservative country.But Ali Jaafar al-Saadi, one of the show’s producers, makes no apology for the subject matter. “Art in my opinion never solves issues, but it sheds light on certain problems in society,” he told Reuters.
Iraqi actors prepare for a scene of Òthe hotelÓ TV series, which is being filmed and broadcast during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in Baghdad, Iraq May 12, 2019. REUTERS/Thaier al-Sudani Saadi said the revival of television production and other cultural activities showed a semblance of calm was returning to Iraq. “Art can only exist in a place with security, a place that is relatively stable,” he said.
Many Iraqis were happy to see a local production on their TV screens, after years of watching shows imported from Egypt or other Arab states. But some were shocked by scenes that included one depicting a massage or those showing characters gathering in a nightclub, drinking alcohol or taking drugs.