In Hanging Gardens, a young Iraqi boy who sells scraps from the Baghdad dumps to survive finds a discarded American sex doll, setting off a chain of events filled with equal parts opportunity and danger.
Young As’ad (Hussain Muhammad Jalil) and his older brother Taha (Wissam Diyaa) are on their own. They just barely manage to scrape a living by scouring Baghdad’s seemingly-endless dumps for items to sell to the local big boss of the underground world—a dangerous man, but he pays them. The dumps are a sea of hazy, smoking landfill in every direction and are also known by their nickname, the Hanging Gardens. The brothers largely stick to certain sections of the dumps, but As’ad is curious, bold and enterprising, so he ventures beyond their unofficial territory into that of others, including the Americans’ dumping ground.
On one such occasion, As’ad unearths an American sex doll and hastily sneaks it away. Excited by his big discovery, he cleans up the blonde-and-blue-eyed doll and presents it to Taha, who is utterly repulsed. Taha regards the doll as moral filth and banishes As’ad from their shared apartment. Somewhat ironically, although Taha is offended by the doll, he has no issue spying on his female neighbour through a carefully concealed hole in the rooftop wall—something As’ad angrily points out as well.
As’ad is determined to keep the doll, which he views with innocent affection, but when his friend/rival Amir (Akram Mazen Ali) demands that As’ad repay the debt he owes Amir, penniless As’ad is forced to share his prized possession as it’s the only thing of value he has to offer. Together, the two young boys embark on an entrepreneurial adventure renting the doll out to teenage boys and young men.
It’s simultaneously disturbing and amusing, largely due to the contrast between the reality of the business and As’ad’s innocence. As’ad is adamant that they protect the doll and ensure it is well cared for. And although he has a general sense of what the clientele are doing in the custom-made room the boys have outfitted onto the back of Amir’s vehicle, As’ad’s naivety about the situation is also quite evident.
Word of the boys’ business venture spreads and unfortunately, it ultimately attracts the wrong attention—that of the local patriarch and his equally dangerous cronies. As’ad and Amir get into serious trouble, highlighting the cruel nature of the world in which they find themselves—one that doesn’t care that they’re young and still learning to find their place. The whole situation forces As’ad to grow up fast and be exposed to consequences and tragedy beyond his young years.
The film is a poignant coming-of-age tale that explores the difficulty of growing up in present-day Baghdad. The story also looks at the choices we make, the skills we must learn, and how we adapt in order to not only survive but hopefully find some fulfillment in life—no matter how complicated or tough the circumstances. The film also owes at least part of its success to its wonderful young actors; both Jalil and Ali tackle their roles with depth and maturity.
Hanging Gardens is the debut feature from writer/director Ahmed Yassin Al Daradji, known for his short films including Children of God (2013) and Stray (2018). He wrote the feature script with Margaret Glover, who also serves as the project’s UK producer.
At this year’s Red Sea IFF, Hanging Gardens received the festival’s top prize, the Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film. Cinematographer Duraid Munaijim also earned the film further accolades at the festival with the award for Best Cinematic Achievement.
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