CGTN’S The Legacy of War Documentary Investigates Lasting Legacy of Iraq War, 20 Years On

BEIJING, March 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — China Global Television Network (CGTN) is marking the 20th anniversary of the start of the Iraq War with the release of a three-part documentary, “The Legacy of War”, premiering on March 17^th. The documentary presents an objective account of the war and its aftermath through the stories of ordinary people. It highlights the impact the war is still having on people in Iraq. 

The series re-tells the story of the 2003 Iraq War from the perspective of those who lived through it. The eye-witness accounts from people of all ages and from a wide range of backgrounds provide viewers with a well-rounded picture of the horror of the war and the social devastation that it created.  

The CGTN team spent 40 days, from November 9^th to December 18^th, 2022, filming on location in Iraq. They visited the capital Baghdad, as well as key areas such as Basra in the south and Mosul in the north. They also headed to the front line in Diyala Province, where they spent time with an Emergency Response Division unit under Captain Osman, which is conducting operations to root out the last remaining members of the ISIS terror group. 

“During the 40 days of filming, we visited many places in Iraq and held in-depth discussions with the local people. We came to deeply appreciate the strength of people’s desire for peace,” says Ke Yi, the series’ executive director. “Peace is the common pursuit of us all, and while filming this documentary, that desire was probably the strongest emotion we picked up from those who we interviewed. We want to issue a call to the world through this documentary to value peace, and we want the people of Iraq who have lived through the war to lead their lives without fear.”

In Mosul, the CGTN team interviewed Mohammed Mahmood, conductor of the Mosul Symphony Orchestra. They also filmed Khairi Bozani, who has devoted every day of the last eight years of his life to helping Yazidi refugees who were sold into slavery. 

The team also interviewed Amar Ali, an Iraqi Paralympic fencer who was severely injured in a 2007 terrorist attack, as well as Sajad who, along with his sister Duah, was injured in a helicopter attack in which their father was killed.

In Basra, they spoke to Mohamad al-Khashali, a café owner who lost four of his sons in a 2007 terrorist attack. 

About CGTN

China Global Television Network (CGTN) is an international media organization that launched on December 31, 2016. CGTN produces content not only for television, broadcasting 24 hours a day on six channels in five languages, but also for radio and digital platforms, as well as an international video news agency.  

CGTN’s headquarters in Beijing and three global production centers, located in Nairobi, Washington, D.C. and London, are staffed with international professionals from more than 50 countries. As a pioneer of media convergence in China, it delivers digital content through CGTN Digital, which is accessible via cgtn.com, as well as via the CGTN mobile applications and other social media platforms.

SOURCE CGTN