Operation Filmmaker

Tonight on PBS, the Independent Lens series features a feel-good tale gone bad. Operation Filmmaker tells the complex story of what happens when well-meaning Hollywood insiders intervene in the life of a young Iraqi film student.

Acclaimed actor Liev Schreiber saw an MTV documentary featuring Muthana Mohmed, a charming 25-year old film student whose school had been flattened by American bombs. Schreiber was preparing to direct his first feature, and he invited Muthana to join the crew. Schreiber also invited filmmaker Nina Davenport along to document Muthana’s journey. The idea was that a young hopeful plucked from the rubble of Baghdad might blossom into something interesting. Schreiber could not have imagined how right he was. It turns out that Muthana was not prepared to be a gofer, or even grateful, and Nina Davenport was there to capture it all with her camera. Nina joins us on Word of Mouth to talk about the adventure.