Only The Dead

Only the Dead is a war story unlike any ever seen. A story of what happens
when one ordinary man, Time magazine war correspondent Michael Ware,
transplanted into the Middle East by the reverberations of 9/11, butts into
history. Ware handpicked and given a shattering video tape by the most
feared, most hated terrorists on the planet to announce his arrival of the
world stage sets out on an epic journey into the deepest recesses of the
conflict as he seeks answers. Answers that he thinks will lead him to the
Truth.

Ware was in Baghdad after the US led invasion of Iraq and saw the beginning
of Al Qaeda in the country, under the leadership of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
In the documentary Ware gives an insight into the origins of the jihadist
movement and in doing so, almost pays with his life. He embedded himself
inside an insurgent militia to find out who they were and witnessed up close
the genesis of what we now know as Islamic State or Daesh.

Reviews

“Given this is assembled mostly from his own war correspondents videos, Ware is at the centre of most of the footage and your response to the film will largely depend on your response to him and his true blue blokey personality.” – Film Experience

“Absolutely outstanding, piercing documentary about the war in Iraq pieced together by Australian war correspondent Michael Ware from the seven years' worth of camcorder footage he took… Easily one of the best accounts of the war so far.” – 3AW

“There are scenes here that you can't unsee, much as you might want to.” – Guardian