Usama Alshaibi () (born in

Baghdad Baghdad ( or ; , ) is the capital and List of largest cities of Iraq, largest city of Iraq, located along the Tigris in the central part of the country. With a population exceeding 7 million, it ranks among the List of largest cities in the A ...

, Iraq on November 20, 1969) is an Iraqi-American

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

filmmaker Filmmaking or film production is the process by which a Film, motion picture is produced. Filmmaking involves a number of complex and discrete stages, beginning with an initial story, idea, or commission. Production then continues through screen ...

and

visual artist The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics (art), ceramics, photography, video, image, filmmaking, design, crafts, and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual a ...

Life and career

Alshaibi's mother was born in Jaffa, Palestine and met his Iraqi father in Baghdad. Usama was their first child. During his formative years, Alshaibi grew up between the Middle East and the United States. He was a child during the Iran-Iraq War and has stated that he suffered from

post-traumatic stress disorder Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that develops from experiencing a Psychological trauma, traumatic event, such as sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, warfare and its associated traumas, natural disaster ...

as a result of the nightly bombings when his family lived in

Basra, Iraq Basra () is a port city in southern Iraq. It is the capital of the eponymous Basra Governorate, as well as the third largest city in Iraq overall, behind Baghdad and Mosul. Located near the Iran–Iraq border at the north-easternmost extent ...

. When Alshaibi was twenty years old, the Iraqi government under

Saddam Hussein Saddam Hussein (28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician and revolutionary who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 1979 until Saddam Hussein statue destruction, his overthrow in 2003 during the 2003 invasion of Ira ...

, conscripted him into the Iraqi army at the start of the

Gulf War , combatant2 = , commander1 = , commander2 = , strength1 = Over 950,000 soldiers3,113 tanks1,800 aircraft2,200 artillery systems , page = https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-PEMD-96- ...

. Fearing for his life, he was granted

political asylum The right of asylum, sometimes called right of political asylum (''asylum'' ), is a juridical concept, under which people persecuted by their own rulers might be protected by another sovereignty, sovereign authority, such as a second country or ...

to remain in the United States. Throughout his teenage years and into his 20's, he focused on art and painting. Later, he discovered filmmaking, which became his lifelong passion.Terkel, Studs, Hope Dies Last, November, 2003:, ''https://archive.org/details/usama-alshaibi-from-the-book-hope-dies-last-by-studs-terkel'', In early 2004, nine months after the United States invasion of Iraq, Alshaibi traveled back to Baghdad with his father to shoot his first

documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

film, titled ''

Nice Bombs ''Nice Bombs'' is a 2006 documentary film directed by Iraqi-American filmmaker Usama Alshaibi about his return to his home country to visit his family after the 2003 invasion of Iraq, 2003 invasion of Iraq. The film is co-produced by Kristie Alshai ...

''. Funded in part by

Creative Capital Creative Capital is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization based in New York City that supports artists across the United States through funding, counsel, gatherings, and career development services. Since its founding in 1999, Creative Capital has co ...

and the

Playboy Foundation The Playboy Foundation is a corporate-giving organization that provides grants to non-profit groups involved in fighting censorship and researching human sexuality. It gives grants and in-kind contributions, such as advertising space in the ''Playb ...

, the documentary was produced by Kristie Alshaibi and executive produced by

Studs Terkel Louis "Studs" Terkel (May 16, 1912 – October 31, 2008) was an American writer, historian, actor, and broadcaster. He received the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction in 1985 for ''The Good War'' and is best remembered for his oral histor ...

. The world premiere for the film was at the 2006

Chicago Underground Film Festival The Chicago Underground Film Festival (CUFF) is an annual nonprofit international festival dedicated to the exhibition of underground and avant-garde cinema, video, and performance. The festival offers an opportunity for independent artists who a ...

, where it won the award for Best Documentary Feature. Studs Terkel and

Christie Hefner Christie Ann Hefner (born November 8, 1952) is an American businesswoman. She was chairman and CEO of Playboy Enterprises from 1988 to 2009, and is the daughter of ''Playboy'' magazine founder Hugh Hefner. Early life Hefner was born in Chicago, ...

introduced the screening. ''Nice Bombs'' had a theatrical release in 2007 and a broadcast premiere on the

Sundance Channel Sundance Channel can refer to: * Sundance TV, formerly known as Sundance Channel (United States). * Sundance Channel (Canada) * Sundance Channel (Netherlands) * Sundance Channel (Europe) Sundance Channel can refer to: * Sundance TV Sundance TV ...

in March 2008 and was released on DVD in October 2009. His second feature documentary film '' American Arab'', was produced by the Chicago non-profit production company

Kartemquin Films Kartemquin Films is a four-time Oscar-nominated 501(c)3 non-profit production company located in Chicago, Illinois, that produces a wide range of documentary films. It is the documentary filmmaking home of acclaimed producers such as Gordon Quinn ( ...

with Executive Producer

Gordon Quinn Gordon Quinn is artistic director and founding member of Kartemquin Films and a 2007 recipient of the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Gordon Quinn has been making documentaries for over 45 years and has produced or di ...

. Alshaibi is the director of several narrative feature-length films, ''Profane'', ''Muhammad and Jane'', ''Soak'', and more than fifty short films. He has also produced and directed numerous

music video A music video is a video that integrates a song or an album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device intended to ...

s for a variety of musicians, including Mahjongg,

Silver Jews Silver Jews were an American indie rock band from Hoboken, New Jersey, formed in 1989 by David Berman (musician), David Berman alongside Pavement (band), Pavement members Stephen Malkmus and Bob Nastanovich. Berman was the only constant band me ...

, Panicsville and

Bobby Conn Jeffrey Stafford (born June 13, 1967), known professionally as Bobby Conn, is an American musician based in Chicago, Illinois. He often collaborates with other artists and film-maker Usama Alshaibi. Career Conn was born as Jeffrey Stafford in ...

. Alshaibi was the founder and Director of the Z Film Festival (2000–2005) and his short films have toured with author Jack Sargeant's

underground film An underground film is a film that is out of the mainstream either in its style, genre or financing. Notable examples include John Waters' ''Pink Flamingos'', David Lynch's ''Eraserhead'', Andy Warhol's ''Blue Movie'', Rosa von Praunheim's ''Tal ...

programs. Usama Alshaibi is interviewed in fellow Chicagoan Studs Terkel's book ''Hope Dies Last''. He is the elder brother of artist

Sama Alshaibi Sama Raena Alshaibi also known as Sama Alshaibi ( born 1973 in Basra, Iraq) is an Iraqi–Palestinian conceptual artist (video art, performative photography, sculpture and installation), who deals with spaces of conflict as her primary subject ...

and sociologist Wisam Alshaibi.

Filmography

Feature films

*'' American Arab'' (2013) *'' Profane'' (2011) *''

'' (2006) *''Muhammad and Jane'' (2003) *''Soak'' (2002)

Select Short films

*''Soon'' (2022) *''In the Dirt'' (2020) *''Here'' (2020) *''The Desire'' (2020) *''The Muslim Meme'' (2017) *''The Flowering'' (2017) *''Baghdad, Iowa'' (2015) *''My Third Painting'' (2009) *''Spoiled'' (2008) *''Signal Cross Over'' (2007) *''Dream of Samarra'' (2007) *''Convulsion Expulsion'' (2004) *''The Amateurs'' (2003) *''Allahu Akbar'' (2003) *''The Foreigner'' (2001) *''Dogirl'' (2000) *''Dance Habibi Dance'' (1999)

Select Music videos

* ''Tell The Police The Truth'' by

Mahjongg Mahjong (English pronunciation: ; also transliterated as mah jongg, mah-jongg, and mahjongg) is a tile-based game that was developed in the 19th century in China and has spread throughout the world since the early 20th century. It is played ...

(2008) * ''King for a Day'' by

(2007) * ''Hold My Scissors'' by

Magic is Küntmaster Magic or magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces ** ''Magick'' (with ''-ck'') can specifically refer to ceremonial magic * Magic (illusion), also known as sta ...

(2004) * ''Stabbed in the Face'' by Panicsville (2003) * ''Angels'' by

(2002) * ''Random Rules'' by

(1998)

Accolades and Awards

* 2011

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private foundation that makes grants and impact investments to support non-profit organizations in approximately 117 countries around the world. It has an endowment of $7.6 billion and ...

Award for ''American Arab'' * 2011

Grant for ''American Arab'' * 2011

Diversity Fellowship for ''American Arab'' * 2011 Underground Film Journal, Movie Of The Year ''Profane'' * 2011 Minneapolis Underground Film Festival, Best Experimental Film ''Profane'' * 2011

Boston Underground Film Festival The Boston Underground Film Festival (BUFF) is an annual event held in the Boston area that specializes in alternative film and video. BUFF is the largest underground film festival in New England, spotlighting short films and feature-length films ...

, Best of Fest for ''Profane'' * 2010 Sexy International Film Festival, Best International Feature Film, Best Director & Best Cinematography for ''Profane'' * 2007 Westchester Film Festival, Best Documentary Film for ''Nice Bombs'' * 2006

, Best Documentary Film for ''Nice Bombs'' * 2005

Film Grant for ''Nice Bombs'' * 2004

, Made in Chicago Award for ''Bombshell''

References

External links

*
Usama Alshaibi Official WebsiteFrom Iraq to Iowa, Chicago Reader articleUsama Alshaibi interviewed in Studs Terkel's "Hope Dies Last"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alshaibi, Usama Film directors from Illinois 1969 births American music video directors Artists from Chicago Artists from Baghdad Iraqi contemporary artists Iraqi emigrants to the United States Iraqi film directors Iraqi experimental filmmakers Iraqi documentary film directors Living people