A screening of the film "Hiding Saddam Hussein" took place in Erbil at the Empire cinema. The film recounts the story of Alaa Namak, a villager who managed to hide former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein for 235 days in a pit south of Tikrit while 150,000 American soldiers searched for him. The film is directed by Halkot Mustafa.
According to the Rudaw media network, Halkot Mustafa stated that he searched for Alaa Namak for two years, while the production of the film took ten years. During this time, he watched more than three thousand hours of Iraqi archives and reviewed fifteen thousand documents about the country.
He added, "We saw Saddam the dictator who ruled Iraq for 35 years, but we did not know what happened in his final days. Thus, it was important for me as a director to show the world those days. The film does not talk about Saddam; it is about Alaa Namak's story."
Also, Jabar Jodi, the general director of the Cinema and Theater Commission and head of the Iraqi Artists Union, told Rudaw that he attended with three experts to watch the film and discuss its possibilities. He added, "There are many intellectual aspects in the film that raise indicators, but this is the history that must be told as it is. We do not portray our historical events neutrally; we have to lean towards one side. However, overall, the film is good in terms of production and direction."
Regarding the possibility of screening it in Baghdad, he confirmed, "We must discuss this matter at all levels." Yasir Muhammad Amin played the role of Saddam Hussein in this film, and despite having performed in several other roles, he considers this film one of the most important works he has done.
Yasir Muhammad Amin mentioned that his selection was due to the similarity in eyes and eyebrows, adding that "the scene that affected me as an actor was when he took off all the clothes and military ranks and returned to wearing Arab attire. What I felt was not regret for his regime but rather where he was and what happened to him."
