Barbershop

Bassim Al Shaker / Iraq, Germany, United States / 2022 / International Premiere / 7 min.

synopsis

Bassim Al-Shaker was 19 years old when a group of Mahdi militia members visited his barbershop in 2007. They wanted a new haircut. When they saw his unfinished painting of Venus, however, they were so offended by the nude figure that they beat the young man, forcibly cut his hair, and dragged him out into the street. The film reconstructs the shocking incident through personal testimony and his own drawings.

“This fear still lives inside of me, even as I share this film with you.”

biography

Bassim Al-Shaker (* 1986) first worked as a barber. At the same time, he took up painting, which nearly cost him his life in his native Iraq. He emigrated to Chicago, where he earned his MFA. He currently exhibits his works at leading international shows.