Watch part twoDirector: Katia SalehIt is not safe to be shaving beards and singing pop songs in the northern Iraqi town of Mosul. Mohamed Yunis is 26 years old. His day job is a barber - but he loves to sing.
Living with his mother and feeling stifled by restrictions, Mohamed decides to go to Beirut to perform in a singing competition. He will compete in the Arabic pop idol competition - he hopes winning this competition will propel him into a glittering career in singing.Mohamed's mother is not convinced. In the past she has tried to persuade him to sing religious chants rather than pop songs. So if he doesn't come back from Beirut having won, the shame will be doubly bad. The pressure is on, and the competition is tough. Will Mohamed make it? Will he succeed for himself? Will he be an Iraqi success story?Away from the pressures of family and a city under siege, Mohamed sits in Beirut’s bustling streets one night and contemplates when this city's type of freedom will come to Iraq. Your Comments:
The pressure is on, and the competition is tough. Will Mohamed make it? Will he succeed for himself? Will he be an Iraqi success story?Away from the pressures of family and a city under siege, Mohamed sits in Beirut’s bustling streets one night and contemplates when this city's type of freedom will come to Iraq.
The Singing Barber of Mosul was a great story as it helped me to see that Iraq isn't all just war and violence, that there are real people just like us who have dreams and aspirations yet can't fulfill them due to their circumstances. With all the negative coverage of Iraq, the story was great because it gave a human and more positive side to the struggle! Keep up the great stories!Alisha Lagasi, Canada