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Live from Baghdad

  • TV Movie
  • 20022002
  • TV-MATV-MA
  • 1h 48m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
4.6K
YOUR RATING
Helena Bonham Carter and Michael Keaton in Live from Baghdad (2002)
Home Video Trailer from HBO Home Video
Play trailer1:49
1 Video
8 Photos
  • Drama
  • War
CNN producer Robert Wiener, his colleague and their crew venture to the Iraqi capital to cover the Gulf War.CNN producer Robert Wiener, his colleague and their crew venture to the Iraqi capital to cover the Gulf War.CNN producer Robert Wiener, his colleague and their crew venture to the Iraqi capital to cover the Gulf War.
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
4.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Mick Jackson
  • Writers
    • Robert Wiener(book)
    • Richard Chapman(teleplay)
    • John Patrick Shanley(teleplay)
  • Stars
    • Michael Keaton
    • Helena Bonham Carter
    • Joshua Leonard
Top credits
  • Director
    • Mick Jackson
  • Writers
    • Robert Wiener(book)
    • Richard Chapman(teleplay)
    • John Patrick Shanley(teleplay)
  • Stars
    • Michael Keaton
    • Helena Bonham Carter
    • Joshua Leonard
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 42User reviews
    • 19Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 3 Primetime Emmys
      • 8 wins & 20 nominations total

    Videos1

    Live from Baghdad
    Trailer 1:49
    Live from Baghdad

    Photos8

    Helena Bonham Carter and Michael Keaton in Live from Baghdad (2002)
    Helena Bonham Carter and Michael Keaton in Live from Baghdad (2002)
    Helena Bonham Carter in Live from Baghdad (2002)
    Helena Bonham Carter and Michael Keaton in Live from Baghdad (2002)
    Helena Bonham Carter and Michael Keaton in Live from Baghdad (2002)
    Helena Bonham Carter and Michael Keaton in Live from Baghdad (2002)
    Helena Bonham Carter and Michael Keaton in Live from Baghdad (2002)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Michael Keaton
    Michael Keaton
    • Robert Wieneras Robert Wiener
    Helena Bonham Carter
    Helena Bonham Carter
    • Ingrid Formanekas Ingrid Formanek
    Joshua Leonard
    Joshua Leonard
    • Mark Bielloas Mark Biello
    Lili Taylor
    Lili Taylor
    • Judy Parkeras Judy Parker
    David Suchet
    David Suchet
    • Naji Al-Hadithias Naji Al-Hadithi
    Bruce McGill
    Bruce McGill
    • Peter Arnettas Peter Arnett
    Michael Murphy
    Michael Murphy
    • Tom Johnsonas Tom Johnson
    Paul Guilfoyle
    Paul Guilfoyle
    • Ed Turneras Ed Turner
    Hamish Linklater
    Hamish Linklater
    • Richard Rothas Richard Roth
    Michael Cudlitz
    Michael Cudlitz
    • Tom Murphyas Tom Murphy
    Robert Wisdom
    Robert Wisdom
    • Bernard Shawas Bernard Shaw
    Pamela Sinha
    • Fatimaas Fatima
    • (as Pamela Sinna)
    Clark Gregg
    Clark Gregg
    • Eason Jordanas Eason Jordan
    Matt Keeslar
    Matt Keeslar
    • Nic Robertsonas Nic Robertson
    Kurt Fuller
    Kurt Fuller
    • Inkyas Inky
    Mark Arnott
    Mark Arnott
    • Bob Furnadas Bob Furnad
    Inny Clemons
    Inny Clemons
    • CNN Deskmanas CNN Deskman
    Chet Grissom
    Chet Grissom
    • Will Kingas Will King
    • Director
      • Mick Jackson
    • Writers
      • Robert Wiener(book) (teleplay)
      • Richard Chapman(teleplay)
      • John Patrick Shanley(teleplay)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The reason CNN is approved to use the four-wire is said to be because the ministry believes them to be "fair and balanced". FOX News' motto is "fair and balanced".
    • Goofs
      The incident where Iraqi soldiers took newborn babies out of their incubators and left them to die turned out to be a hoax in order to generate support for the Persian Gulf War. This was exposed in 1992 a decade before the move was released.
    • Quotes

      Ingrid Formanek: Say this- "La tapar, ana Sahaffi".

      Robert Wiener: La tapar, ana Sahaffi.

      Ingrid Formanek: Pretty good.

      Robert Wiener: What does it mean?

      Ingrid Formanek: "Don't shoot, I'm a journalist".

    • Connections
      Featured in The 60th Annual Golden Globe Awards (2003)

    User reviews42

    Review
    Top review
    A Decent Film
    This film is a well-written and acted live-action documentary of Robert Wiener's experiences working as a CNN correspondent in Baghdad during the Gulf War. Overall, it is pretty good. The speeches all resonate, and it is good to see some of the atrocities committed by Saddam's army brought to light again; revisionist Americans love to paint the Gulf War as a "quest for oil", just as they love to browbeat America for using the atomic bomb during WWII. Obviously there are many sides to any story, and for the most part "Live from Baghdad" does a good job of showing what was really happening in Iraq, along with serving the Americans an occasional slice of humble pie for their brashness and xenophobia.

    Interestingly, the weakest part of the movie is the director. Mick Jackson has a lot of experience (I'm amazed to find out that he directed Steve Martin's "L.A. Story"), but his work here falls into two distinct categories: workmanlike and/or irritating. The workmanlike scenes aren't so bothersome. But occasionally he'll pull a trick out of his hat, and it's always hackneyed - particularly his fascination with long shots of people staring. This is one of those art house things that you just have to suffer through, along with the excessively talky relationship between Wiener and Ingrid. It is a distinctly American conceit, as seen in such dreck as "Pearl Harbor", to take something as colossal as a war and use it as a backdrop for a hamfisted love story. I also found it a little unsettling that the reporters were laughing and slapping each other on the back after the bombing, while outside their relatively safe hotel people were picking their loved ones out of the rubble.

    It is definitely a gigantic commercial for CNN, but you know that going in. The guy worked for CNN. If you watch a documentary about Colonel Sanders, you have to expect some fried chicken.

    Some people have dismissed the film as propaganda; I must point out that while it does paint our involvement in the Gulf War in a positive light, it makes no reference to the modern situation except to state that Saddam Hussein is still in power. If you were against the war, then of course there's no way you will like this film. But if you were against it without knowing anything about it except some friend of yours said "we're doing it for oil!", then you should do quite a bit of research ... and this film is as good a place as any to start.
    helpful•19
    9
    • Fenrir-5
    • Dec 16, 2002

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • December 7, 2002 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official site
      • HBO - link to trailer, chatroom, etc.
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Fuego sobre Bagdad
    • Filming locations
      • Morocco
    • Production companies
      • HBO Films
      • Industry Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 48 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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