IraqDoc 2007: an update

via CBC

Paul Goyette of Locussolus asked me about IraqDoc 2007 the other day.

I posted briefly about my aims for the documentary on August 1st(see below). So far I've gotten 48 bucks(!) in donations. Well, one donation. I'm working on a short film, tentatively titled "Song of Denton, pt 1" on mini-DV which I mean to post as a downloadable file some time in February at a different URL.


1st mention of my intention to go to Iraq in the summer of 2007, here:
"The Road Ahead"


The purpose of the film is to talk to ordinary people in Iraq about their experiences, both before and during the war, and since. I would also like to also visit with social scientists in Iraq, not from US and European NGOs but from the local universities, and perhaps highlight work they've done about the effects of the war. I would also like to talk to imams and other non-Muslim religious leaders-- NOT the bigshots who get lots of press, but the equivalents of ordinary parish priests.


via globalsecurity.org

Will it be possible for me to register as a nonprofit organization? I would like to, but find the prospect a bit daunting, and also wonder if my work would be dismissed as politically-motivated because of the blog(and because of the political climate), even though I don't think I've ever endorsed a candidate or a ballot initiative. It is my hope, perhaps a foolish one, to raise 30,000 bucks by 5/2007 and go for about 3 months. Obviously I need to step up the curve with respect to soliciting donations! I would go even with as little as 12,000 to 15,000 raised, as I believe much of the expenditure would be in post-production. To save money I may fly to Beirut and take the bus into Baghdad, as my understanding is there still is bus service, even though it's a long trip. (I thought of buying a cheap used car in Beirut or Jordan, but traveling by one's self is said to be very dangerous.)

But seriously. Look to your right. My Paypal and Amazon accounts will take donations for as little as five or ten bucks, and I'm not too proud to ask for that, so I'm asking. I have approximately 515 days left, so I only need to raise about 23 bucks a day to get to 12 grand, or 58/day to get to 30 grand, so this is very much within the realm of possibility. At least tell people you know who might like to help.