May 23–30
Daily
Heavy-metal rebelliousness is one of the many luxuries that US freedom affords us. In Baghdad, on the other hand, it's just plain reckless. Long hair is not an option. Speaking English and wearing your favorite rock-band t-shirt could get you killed. And starting a band? Unthinkable. VICE co-founder Suroosh Alvi and filmmaker Eddy Moretti tell the story of a group of young Iraqis who start their own metal band, Acrassicauda. Heavy Metal in Baghdad documents the realities of war through the struggles of an amateur band, for whom even meeting up down the block to practice is a supreme challenge.
– Menaka Gopinath