BBC2 has commissioned a two-hour mini-series from October Films, in which journalist and former British soldier Adnan Sarwar returns to Iraq to explore how the country has changed since he served in the country during the Iraq war.
Adnan Sarwar arrived in Iraq in 2003 as a 24-year-old soldier with the British army. He initially viewed his mission as liberating the country’s people from Saddam Hussein, but when parts of the population turned against the allied forces, Adnan’s life was changed forever by an ambush which killed one of his friends in the army. Sarwar saw first-hand how driving Saddam from power led to more violence and ultimately the creation of ISIS. Now, with ISIS gone, the series sees him is travelling back to Iraq to discover the country afresh, beyond the headlines and wars to meet everyday people rebuilding their lives.
Denman Rooke, Executive Producer, says: “Adnan is the perfect guide to Iraq for this series. He brings a former soldier’s insight and understanding of why – for some – fighting is a way of life, alongside his unique brand of warmth, curiosity and razor-sharp journalistic intelligence, which allow him to engage with and understand the lives of Iraqis as they look to the future.”
Return to Iraq (working title) is being series produced and directed by Jamie Berry. The executive producers are Monica Garnsey and Denman Rooke and it was commissioned by Gian Quaglieni. The series is being launched to the international market by distributor Drive at MIPTV 2018.
Sarwar co-presented October’s previous BBC 2 series Dangerous Borders.
Jon Creamer
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