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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Saturday 8 July 2017

Review: In ‘City of Ghosts,’ true heroism in an IS capital

By JAKE COYLE ern Syrian city on the banks
AP Film Writer of the Euphrates, has for
So-called heroes sling into the last three years been
action just about every the de facto capital of the
weekend of the summer Islamic State. The city first
movie season, but if you drew militants in the upris-
want to see the genu- ing against Syrian president
ine article, you’ll have to Bashar al-Assad, but in the
make your way to “City of revolution’s wake, IS set up
Ghosts,” Matthew Heine- camp. Black flags overran
man’s documentary about the city, as did beheadings,
the Syrian citizen journalist crucifixions and torture.
collective of Raqqa. It has been one of the most
Raqqa, the provincial East- impossible places on Earth

This image taken from film provided by Amazon Studios/IFC Films shows Aziz in a scene from
filmmaker Matthew Heineman’s documentary, “City of Ghosts.” The movie opens in New York on
July 7, 2017.
Associated Press
to practice daily life, let world. port remotely via anony-
alone journalism. And yet “We punctured a hole in mous reporters and sourc-
it was here that one of the the darkness,” Abdul-Aziz es in Raqqa. Much of the
more inspiring tales of citi- al-Hamza, the 25-year-old footage shot by Heineman
zen reporting was born with co-founder, narrates. comes from his time in their
Raqqa is Being Slaughtered For the media-savvy Islam- European safe houses or
Silently, or RBSS. They’re ic State, who made slickly being celebrated by the
a small group of mostly produced videos of their Committee to Protect Jour-
anonymous Raqqa resi- atrocities their trademark nalists with the 2015 Press
dents who became activ- recruitment tool, RBSS is Freedom Award.
ists, risking and sometimes more than a nuisance. It’s a In this way, “City of Ghosts”
losing their lives while re- threat to its PR of savagery. narrows in scope just when
porting from the heart of Stealthily, the citizen report- it should expanding. Its
IS darkness Heineman, the ers get out news, video and second half is unable to
director of the Oscar-nom- sometimes embarrassing keep pace with the wider
inated “Cartel Land,” has details of IS on social me- story of IS, or to maintain its
the good sense to let RBSS dia. The risk is extreme. One close-up of Raqaa. That’s
leaders tell their own story, reporter named Moutaz surely somewhat inevitable
making for a bracingly in- is captured, tortured and considering the prohibi-
timate, heartbreaking and shot in public. Other volun- tive violence in the city. But
ultimately stirring window teers are assassinated. Their Heineman, whose “Cartel
into the tragedy of mod- teacher, Naji Jerf, is hunted Land” intrepidly plunged
ern Syria. They are mostly down on the streets in Tur- into vigilante groups along
young, previously unpo- key. Even their families are the U.S.-Mexico border, ap-
litical men who found the in danger. The cameraman pears more at home on
courage to resist when the Hamoud’s father is taken the battlefield than distant
Islamic State, or ISIS, began and shot on video. In one from the action.
terrorizing their home city. of the film’s most agoniz- Still, the heroism on display
They are armed with noth- ing moments, Heineman in “City of Ghosts” is un-
ing more than a hashtag films Hamoud watching the forgettable, and the film
and a logo featuring a video. He is shaken but re- remains an ever-essential
splash of blood, but RBSS mains resolute in his cause. reminder of the high costs
became a vital resource Several of the group’s lead- and vital necessity of jour-
for news inside Raqqa for ers flee to Germany and nalism in this — or any —
media outlets around the Turkey, but continue to re- fight against evil.q

Emma Stone says male co-stars

have helped her get equal pay

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Emma ask for in the future. and Scarlett Johansson.
Stone says that male co- The Oscar-winner portrays Her experience is not uni-
stars have taken pay cuts King in the upcoming film versal, though.
to ensure she received “Battle of the Sexes” about Stone’s co-star Andrea
equal pay on films. the 1973 match against Riseborough said that she
Speaking to tennis great Bil- Bobby Riggs. has not had the same ex-
lie Jean King in an interview Stone has spoken about perience and has been
published Thursday in Out the gender pay gap in Hol- paid less than male co-stars
Magazine , Stone said the lywood before, as have big even when she’s asked for
gesture to match has im- screen stars like Jennifer a raise.q
pacted what she’s able to Lawrence, Natalie Portman