What is daily life in Baghdad like for the Iraqi people today, a year after the beginning of the war that ousted the oppressive regime of Saddam Hussein but replaced it with an occupation by U.S. troops? Veteran documentary filmmaker Romain Goupil chronicles, in cinéma-vérité fashion, the daily life of the family of Abbas ad Roubay, a former member of Saddam's Republican Guard who now struggles to make a living as a deliveryman, and his wife Yasmine and their four children.

Made over a period of several weeks in February 2004, the film is divided into four 25-minute 'chapters,' which focus on Abbas, the father, and his brother, who was a political prisoner; on Yasmine, the mother, and her sisters; on Hilmi, a brother-in-law who works as a journalist; and on Abbas's father and the family's attendance at the wedding of a niece.

While we witness the simple realities of their everyday life - following Abbas as he makes deliveries, watching the family share a lunchtime meal, visiting the homes of other family members, or shopping for daily necessities - we also learn, thanks to the country's newfound freedom of expression, their views about life before and after Saddam, the promises of the Americans, and the religious tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslim communities, as well as their frustrations with electricity shortages and concerns about the lack of stability and security.

Although U.S. military vehicles and troops are occasionally glimpsed in the background, the film avoids the gruesomely familiar scenes of bombings and gunfire we're used to seeing on American TV. Instead, DAILY BAGHDAD offers us a rarely-seen view of daily life in postwar Iraq, one which reveals the diverse views of average Iraqi citizens about the country's previous history, the war, their life today, and their vision of the future for themselves and their country.

"Through the spinning out of a story where the camera becomes discreet, contemporary Iraqi reality is revealed."—Le Monde

"Recommended! Creates a very personal feel. Sound, color, and video are professional and the subtitles are easy to read."—Educational Media Reviews Online

" * * * [3 Stars!] An intimate, humanitarian look at daily life in war-torn Baghdad following the fall of Saddam Hussein and the rise of the American military presence. [The] cinema vérité approach works well... allows the viewer to fully absorb the simple, day-to-day details of life in the Iraqi capital. The universal message is clear: this family is like any other, and we can all relate to their struggles; more to the point, we can even gain a new perspective on the Iraq war, from those who have suffered in its midst. Recommended!"—Video Librarian