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culture
Meet Dr SAAiB GHAzi
- an outstanding Iraqi Canadian Filmmaker
He is a man of many talents – he writes and makes PhD in cinema and have worked as a producer-
films, in addition to his other activities – sharing director for many channels since 1993. I started
his passion for the 7the art, the cinema, with with Iraq TV and then moved on to work for the
students both in Iraq and elsewhere. If you have Aljazeera network based in Qatar, the Al Hurra
a chance to meet Dr Ghazi the first thing you will channel (USA), Dubai TV, and the art channel
notice is that he has a big and generous heart. You Baghdad Bureau. Also, I worked as operation
can feel in his films his kindness and empathy. manager in CNBC Arabia (based in Dubai
He has made many films, some of which you can Media City). Now I am living in Canada, and
watch on Youtube, and he continues to do so. Look I still work as a producer for Arabic television
for them, and take your time watching them, they overseas. In Canada, I directed an Indian
are worth it – and worth watching again. We were movie (Punch Panchangam Pariharam) and
lucky to meet this highly articulate man and ask documentaries (Foolish Decisions, Archipelago,
him about his art. Ukrainian Plane Tragedy, House of Mercy, Our
Beloved and The Other).
You are a filmmaker and a writer from Iraq,
living in Canada. Could you tell us a little about I also worked as a lecturer at the College of Arts
yourself, especially your background in art, and / Media Department at Qatar University, the
your art? Institute of Fine Arts / Cinema Department. in
I’m an Iraqi-Canadian filmmaker, TV producer Baghdad and as a trainer at the Aljazeera Media
and video creator. My passion for storytelling Training & Development Institute.
began in my homeland Iraq and has since evolved
into a mission to explore themes of identity and I created the Cinema Festival in 1996 through
belonging through my production. I have a my TV program An Appointment with the Iraqi
w w w. d i va i n t e r n at i o n a l . c h
