Iraqi researcher returns to lead search and restoration of endangered cinema archive

Research and restoration work on old Iraqi films has become an attempt to rescue a cinematic memory on the verge of being lost. The effort is led by researcher Hassan al-Sudani, who returned to Baghdad in 2023 to collect, catalog and restore reels that were damaged or looted across decades of conflict, according to a report in a British specialist magazine.

The report describes an archive inside Baghdad's Green Zone, where concrete buildings house cold, dark rooms crammed with film cans. Al-Sudani stands among piles of cans, some thrown on the floor, others stacked on shelves, and some whose sides have been eaten by rust or blackened by fire. The cans bear the logos of defunct production companies and the names of films such as "The Burning Borders," "The Loch Ness Monster," and an abridged version of "Al-Qadisiyyah," but the absence of labels and a comprehensive catalogue makes the contents of many cans a mystery that requires opening and inspection to identify.

Al-Sudani, who lived for a period in Sweden after leaving Iraq in the 1990s, returned to lead the search for Iraq's lost cinema archive. He holds a doctorate on the relationship between memory and cinema and views the mission as an extension of his interest in that connection and a service to all Iraqis.

The report also outlines the decline of Iraq's film scene, which flourished in the mid-20th century with the founding of Baghdad Studio in the late 1940s and the existence of more than a hundred cinemas nationwide. That scene contracted after Saddam Hussein came to power in 1979 because of restrictions, censorship and international sanctions, and the 2003 invasion inflicted a greater blow that scattered archives and led to the theft or deterioration of many reels.

The report quotes director Adi Rashid, maker of Underexposure — considered the first film shot in Iraq after the invasion — saying he battled the new administration to secure suitable storage conditions and that summer heat harmed the reels. To protect what he could, Rashid stored 16mm reels in his family's home and handed those reels to al-Sudani over the past year after al-Sudani continued searching across Iraq for surviving materials.

Searches extended to official warehouses, government departments, offices, basements and theaters, and films were found in the hands of security agencies and private individuals alike. The situation ranges from items deliberately destroyed, neglected or stolen to materials still threatened by climate and improper storage.

Among the recently completed restorations is Saeed Effendi by Kamiran Husni, a 1950s classic that was screened in Baghdad after restoration with the help of the French National Audiovisual Institute for the first time in decades. The screening drew a large audience, with some attendees sitting on the floor to watch.

The searches also brought surprising discoveries, including footage documenting the coronation of King Faisal II found among decomposing reels yet remaining in good condition. Al-Sudani described feeling great joy and a sense of discovery as if he had found a treasure, likening his work to archaeological digs that unearth buried pieces.

The report notes that rebuilding the film archive is not only about recovering a visual past but is also tied to forming a new cultural scene as artists and intellectuals return from exile. Al-Sudani considers preserving the past and building the archive an essential part of restoring national identity. The magazine suggested three films that mark stations in Iraqi cinema history: Saeed Effendi (1957), Underexposure (2005), and The President's Cake (2025).