She’s returned to the subject on film and through a distinctly American lens, setting a new version in Michigan. Jeffrey Brown of PBS went there to see the work for the PBS arts and culture series, CANVAS.
Uprooted after her father’s death during the pandemic, an Iraqi American woman attempts to grieve at the site of the oldest Iraqi Church in North America.
What starts in profound isolation, becomes communal as Iraqi women, ordinary and extraordinary, come to her in spirit and ancestry with their personal stories of love and resilience.
Together, they offer a celebration of the Iraqi female experience and an explicit warning – the divisions Iraq endured are not unique, Iraq is a bellwether for America now.
Nearly 20 years ago, 9 Parts of Desire premiered to widespread acclaim on London stages and Off-Broadway, later becoming a global theatrical phenomenon.
Now, Heather Raffo adapts her multi-award-winning solo play about Iraqi women for the screen and for our current time.
From Iraq to Michigan, Raffo transforms into a wide cross-section of Iraqi women in her inspiring exploration of love and grief within countries undone by division, violence and loss.
Nine Parts, a film by Mike Mosallam, Heather Raffo and Nilou Safinya is streaming now on PBS.
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