Layth Abdulamir (born 24 October 1957 in Iraq) is an Iraqi-French filmmaker.[1] He studied film in Paris, France, from 1977 to 1980, and in Kiev (then in the former Soviet Union) from 1980 to 1986. Since 1994, he defended his dissertation at the Rylsky National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, (Thesis: Characteristics of Extreme Documentary Films Direction). He received his PHD degree in Cinematic Critic he has made several documentary films for various TV channels in France and for Dubai TV[2] in the United Arab Emirates (1999-2004).[3] In 2021, Layth Abdulamir's book Extreme cinema, transcending the borders of aesthetics was published by Arwegh مؤسسة أروقة للدراسات والترجمة والنشر Editions in Cairo.
The book explores the use of extremes in world cinema, the origins and philosophy as well as aesthetic and political ties.
Layth Abdulamir has become prominent following the emergence of a new generation of Iraqi filmmakers, in exile or still working in the country, in the late 1990s and early 2000s,[9] a period of cultural and artistic achievements which unveiled other notable names including Abbas Fahdel, Hayder Mousa Daffar, and Zahavi Sanjavi.
In 2005, after 28 years of absence, Layth Abdulamir returned for the first time to Iraq to make the documentary Iraq: The Song of the Missing Men, but he felt like a complete stranger in the country where he was born and the making of the film was rather difficult in a land still plagued by the harsh realities and consequences of the American military post-occupation.[9] In an interview with AlloCiné, the director explained: "Most of the time I had to 'steal' images of reality, I was never able to install myself in a shot, in an interview, and thereby benefit from the time necessary for this type of operation."[9] He added: "Iraqi identity was broken, everyone retreated to hide behind his community, his religion, his religious allegiance."
As of 2014, Layth Abdulamir began working as a film critic for a number of Arabic language newspapers, and also as a Master class instructor.
Work
The book "Extreme cinema, transcending the borders of aesthetics” explores the use of extremes in world cinema, the origins and philosophy as well as aesthetic and political ties.
With the exception of a couple of early short fictional films, Layth Abdulamir makes a full-time living as a documentary filmmaker, building a field of specialization in topics related to the Arab world and filming mainly in the United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Egypt, and Irak.
Awards and nominations
1987: “The Cradle”, winner in 1986 of the Grand Prize in the Damascus Film Festival in Syria.
2005: Iraq: The Song of the Missing Men, Winner - Hossam Ali Award for Best Arab Documentary,[13]Ismailia International Documentary Festival for Documentaries and Shorts, Ismailia, Egypt
^ abcdArmes, Roy (23 August 2010). Arab Filmmakers of the Middle East: A Dictionary. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press. p. 36. ISBN978-0253355188.
