SOMEONE ELSE’S WAR
Price: $210.00 Code: 2345 |
Directed by Lee Wang
2007, 25 minutes
Purchase: $210 | Classroom Rental: $125
In the background of the war in Iraq is an invisible army made up of more than 30,000 low-wage workers from South and Southeast Asia. Working for a fraction of what American contractors earn in Iraq, these Asian workers do the dirty work on U.S. military bases—cleaning toilets, serving food and driving some of the most dangerous roads in the country. Yet few Americans outside of Iraq have ever seen or heard of these workers.
Someone Else's War confronts dangerous double standards—third world workers in Iraq typically earn a tiny fraction of what Americans earn and work without health or life insurance; they also live in segregated camps on base and are often lured into labor contracts comparable to indentured servitude. For decades, Filipinos have traveled abroad in search of work. The country has become so dependent on remittances sent back by overseas workers that ten percent of the population now works overseas (1.5 million work in the Middle East alone). What makes this old story new is that instead of moving overseas to work as nurses or domestic helpers, Filipinos are now leaving their homes to work in the middle of a war zone. But they all go out of necessity.
Told through the eyes of the Filipinos and their families, Someone Else's War is the first documentary to investigate this little known side of the war. This film provides an intimate look into the forces of poverty and desperation that persuade workers to risk their lives for the chance at a better life in Iraq. By tracing the journey of these workers from their communities in the Philippines to the slums of Kuwait and finally onto U.S. military bases in Iraq, Someone Else's War provides a unique take on globalization in a time of war.
It is a story that challenges viewers to consider how war operates in a newly globalized economy, and how American ambitions in Iraq impact the rest of the world.
* Official Selection, Atlanta Film Festival, 2007
* Official Selection, SF International Asian-American Film Festival, 2007
2007, 25 minutes
Purchase: $210 | Classroom Rental: $125
In the background of the war in Iraq is an invisible army made up of more than 30,000 low-wage workers from South and Southeast Asia. Working for a fraction of what American contractors earn in Iraq, these Asian workers do the dirty work on U.S. military bases—cleaning toilets, serving food and driving some of the most dangerous roads in the country. Yet few Americans outside of Iraq have ever seen or heard of these workers.
Someone Else's War confronts dangerous double standards—third world workers in Iraq typically earn a tiny fraction of what Americans earn and work without health or life insurance; they also live in segregated camps on base and are often lured into labor contracts comparable to indentured servitude. For decades, Filipinos have traveled abroad in search of work. The country has become so dependent on remittances sent back by overseas workers that ten percent of the population now works overseas (1.5 million work in the Middle East alone). What makes this old story new is that instead of moving overseas to work as nurses or domestic helpers, Filipinos are now leaving their homes to work in the middle of a war zone. But they all go out of necessity.
Told through the eyes of the Filipinos and their families, Someone Else's War is the first documentary to investigate this little known side of the war. This film provides an intimate look into the forces of poverty and desperation that persuade workers to risk their lives for the chance at a better life in Iraq. By tracing the journey of these workers from their communities in the Philippines to the slums of Kuwait and finally onto U.S. military bases in Iraq, Someone Else's War provides a unique take on globalization in a time of war.
It is a story that challenges viewers to consider how war operates in a newly globalized economy, and how American ambitions in Iraq impact the rest of the world.
Subjects & Collections
Asian Studies Labor Studies Political Science Cultural Studies Peace & Conflict 2009 Directed by Women
Festivals & Awards
* Official Selection, Tribeca Film Festival, 2007* Official Selection, Atlanta Film Festival, 2007
* Official Selection, SF International Asian-American Film Festival, 2007