Dispatches

The Fight For Mosul (2017x25)

: 07, 2017

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, this documentary follows the experiences of five 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; Naif, a sergeant juggling family life with the front line; and Amjad, a young recruit excited to be on the forefront in the basis against Isis. 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 of trapped civilians who are themselves fearful and suspicious of the army.