Iraq’s Social Media Martyrs
Channel 4 · Unreported World
Iraq's Social Media Stars: Fame at a Deadly Price
In Iraq, where social media fame can carry a death sentence, journalist Sahar Zand meets a generation of influencers challenging the country's religious and social conventions. For Channel 4's Unreported World, she travels to Basra to meet rapper Mr Guti, before heading to Baghdad to meet social media personalities Israa Alobaidi and Hamsa Majed, who are finding new ways to express themselves in a deeply conservative society.
Against a backdrop of nationwide anti-government protests and the targeted killings of prominent influencers, Sahar also meets photographer Sadeq Jaffer, who photographed Tara Fares, the Iraqi model and Instagram star murdered in Baghdad in 2018. Through their stories, the documentary explores how fashion, beauty and music have become expressions of freedom, and why visibility can come at a deadly price.
Also on — Apple TV
Digital — Watch the short video
Selected Press & Recognition
Critics' Choice & Recommendations — The Times · The Telegraph · The Guardian · Irish Times · Daily Mail · The Observer · iNews · The Herald
“A refreshing look at influencer culture." — The Guardian
“An eye-opening documentary.” — Radio Times
“An insightful look at the continuing uses of social media.” — The Observer
“Even in our globally connected modern world, the simple expression of personal freedoms can get you killed.” — The Times
Credits
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Sahar Zand
Reporter
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Katie Arnold
Producer & Director
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Sue Turton
Series Producer
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Eamonn Matthews
Executive Producer
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Siobhan Sinnerton
Commissioning Editor