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“Extraordinarily intimate... An astonishing portrait of urban combat, and a gripping reflection of the universal, eternal truth of warfare - that soldiers fight first and foremost for the soldiers alongside them... It is an extraordinary film – insanely brave, but also intimate and human.”
— The Guardian
“A stunner of a new documentary - The intense, visceral footage of the fighting is bracing enough but the insight into the soldiers can be heart-scalding. ”
— The Globe and Mail

 

MOSUL


In October 2016, an elite team of Iraqi Special Forces was tasked with leading the fight to defeat ISIS in Mosul. It was the beginning of a brutal battle of attrition that was to last almost nine months. Filmed over the course of the whole campaign, Mosul follows the experiences of four young soldiers: Anmar, a college graduate seeking revenge after his father was the victim of a suicide attack; Hussein, a ruthless sniper and aspiring football player; Jamal, a wise-cracking sergeant; and Amjad, a young recruit excited to be on the frontline. Full of hope and good intentions at the beginning of the campaign, the soldiers are forced to confront the reality of fighting an elusive and vicious enemy in a city full of trapped civilians who are themselves fearful and suspicious of the army. And with victory in sight, tragedy strikes. When ISIS eventually capitulates, much of the city is destroyed, and the surviving soldiers are left haunted by what they have seen and done.

MOSUL is a PBS Frontline production in association with Mongoose Pictures and Channel4.

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AWARDS

  •  Winner of an Emmy® Award for Outstanding Cinematograhy

  • Winner of the Overseas Press Club of America Edward R. Murrow Award for Best TV documentary

Judges: Filmmaker Olivier Sarbil follows a squad of Iraqi Special Forces as they fight their way house by house through Mosul. His documentary stands out for the way it connects viewers with the characters of four Iraqi soldiers, putting human faces on an inhuman conflict. This is the ugly, unpredictable but relentless face of war, seen from up very close through Sarbil’s lens – and clearly at substantial risk to himself.

  • Winner of the Jury Grand Prize at the Golden Nymph Awards

  • Winner of the Grand Award for Cinematography at the New York festivals International TV & Film Awards

  • Winner of the Broadcast Awards for Best Documentary

  • Winner of the Gold World Medal for Cinematography at the New York festivals International TV & Film Awards

  • Winner of the Venice TV Award for Best Documentary

  • Winner of Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Gold Baton Award

  • Special Commendation from the Grierson Award judges - Best Current Affairs Documentary

Judges: It humanises a story that is complex, difficult and remote. The documentary is beautifully made with incredible access, and is filmed with compassion. This is an extraordinary film that takes you into the heart of battle through the eyes of some real heroes. It contains great depth and complexity.

  • Nominated for the British Academy Television Craft Awards (BAFTA) for Cinematography

  • Nominated for an Emmy® Award for Outstanding Short Documentary

  • Nominated at the IDA Documentary Association Awards for Best Short

British Cinematographer Article


REVIEWS

-The Times

-The Globe and Mail

-Radio Times

-The Guardian


 

 

CREDITS

Filmed and Directed by Olivier Sarbil
Co-Directed and Produced by James Jones
Produced by Raney Aronson-Rath & Dan Edge
Edited by Ella Newton
Production Managed by Philippa Lacey                                                       

                                                                  

 

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