This is a short film shot in Erbil, northern Iraq . It was compiled from footage from the extensive CCTV network that covered the street outside the house.
We didn't live in the gated confines of Ainkawa on the edges of the city where most of the western types lived, but lived among the mix of residents of Havalan, an area on the east of Erbil. It was a strange place in many ways, with an imposing Kuwaiti owned mall forming the focal point in an area shared by Kurds, Iraqis and IDPs (Internally Displaced People). Some of these IDPs lived in the unfinished shells of buildings abandoned after the ongoing financial crisis spike of 2014.
These kids played outside the front. Seeing them on CCTV upset me for some reason. It was as if they were being framed by some bigger, more sinister entity. I suppose they were. The pixillated footage resembled the heads-up displays of Black Hawks. These monstrous hulking helicopters frequently flew over the house at night with no lights. Sometimes, for no good reason, they popped out countermeasure flares.
I made this while listening to yet more unbelievable words from the then candidate Donald Trump. I suppose the general gist of this is pretty obvious; here are some of the people you're talking about mate. The little girl (the smallest one in the film) reminded me of my youngest daughter. That's why the film got this name.
I'd be prepared to argue that this was some fairly pure activist filmmaking. Instead of wanting to punch the future president I thought I'd divert some of that energy into making something that might contribute to the effort to point out what a big mistake the Americans were about to make.
This film was screened at the Cheap Cuts Doc Fest 2017.