City of Ghosts Preview

City of Ghosts is a documentary independent film about ISIS terrorists in Raqqa, Syria, the citizen journalists exposing them, and the power of media used by both.  In 2014, ISIS took over Raqqa by force and recruited more soldiers to their cause by distributing CDs.  These CDs were poor in quality, looked amateur, and were not producing the results they wanted.  A group of 17 correspondents inside Raqqa filmed the actions of ISIS and transmitted their footage to another group of citizen activists outside of Raqqa who would then publish their footage online for the world to see.  ISIS caught on and stepped up their game, smartly, viciously, successfully.

ISIS launched a three-pronged attack.  First, they attacked by force.  Then, they attacked by upping the quality of their videos used to recruit soldiers.  They utilized Hollywood style filming techniques and special effects to entice Syrians to join their "paradise".  Finally, they found out who was working against them and used intimidation to scare them off.  They would publicly execute their family members, they would post pictures of those working against them and their addresses encouraging their soldiers and followers to kill them.  But a few brave resisters would not be deterred realizing that either they would successfully share the truth, or they would be killed.

This is a documentary that uses actual footage of the atrocities being committed by ISIS in Syria.  These are not Hollywood actors, there are no special effects or makeup tricks.  What you see is real.  And that makes this film brutal and painful but necessary to watch.  The preview shows that you will be given front-line access to the daily terror to which Syrians are subjected.  It's hard to give this a typical star rating because it's not meant to entertain, it's not meant to thrill and take you to a make believe place.  Even movies that are based on actual events are a little easier to handle because they are a step removed.  They are recreations of things that happened and the viewer can take some solace knowing it's still a Hollywood movie.  I'm not often squeamish at horror films with gore and blood.  I'm more curious at how the special effects team pulled it off.  With City of Ghosts, what you see is actually happening and cannot be brushed off as a trick.  I'm honestly not sure what exactly to expect as I'm sure many of the horrible things going on cannot be shown in the preview.  I don't know how much will be shown in the movie and in how much detail.  But I can imagine as their goal is to spread the graphic truth of what is going on and their lives are at stake.  I'm giving City of Ghosts an anticipatory 4 Star prediction, breaking my own rating scale because I don't believe this will be a movie I'll be owning, though I think it will be an important film that we all need to see.  Not in spite of how uncomfortable it may make us, but rather because of how uncomfortable it should make us. Am I right?  We shall see.