Inside Iraq: The Untold Stories (2004)

Concerned citizens seeking to learn more about the experiences of everyday Iraqis in a time when the U.S. led war with the Middle Eastern nation shows no end of slowing get an illuminating glimpse at the true damage that bombs can do as amateur filmmaker Mike Shiley interviews people on both sides of the conflict during a two month tour of the war-torn country.

A man who has received no formal training as a filmmaker or a journalist, Shiley struck a deal with his local ABC affiliate to bring back stories from Iraq, printed up a homemade press pass, boarded an airplane, and donned his bullet-proof vest. The footage Shiley captured during his stay would provide a remarkably personal face to a war that has become disquietingly impersonal to the average American citizen.

From the Sunni triangle to the Shiite-controlled south, Shiley puts himself directly in the line of fire on order to speak with soldiers and everyday citizens. For anyone who ever wondered just what it would be like to be an Iraqi citizen during this extended conflict, Shiley's film affords them the opportunity to receive a firsthand answer to their inquiries.