Valley of the wolves

In case you didn't know, the #1 movie in turkey right now is the incredibly anti-american movie "Valley of the wolves Iraq", and it stars an international cast of actors, amongst which are american actors Billy Zane and Gary Busey, who of course portray the bad evil americans. At one of Istanbul's biggest multiplex cinemas the blockbuster is showing on five separate screens and nearly all the seats are sold out. It's the same story across the country. "I'm back to see it for the second time already," says one student, waiting impatiently outside Screen 10. "It is anti-American, but we already know what they've done in Iraq. That's the reality. Now we can see it on screen." The reality, ehh? In one scene, trigger-happy US troops massacre civilians at a wedding party. In another they firebomb a mosque during evening prayer. There are multiple summary executions. And for the first time, the real-life abuses by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison are played out on the big screen. Even the doctor - played by Gary Busey - is evil, removing human organs from Iraqi prisoners to send to patients in the US, Israel and Britain. He must've needed the work. "Our film's a sort of political action," explains script-writer Bahadir Ozdener at the production company's stylish office on the Asian side of Istanbul. "Maybe 60 or 70% of what happens on screen is factually true." Really? Factually true? Americans firebomb mosques, and their doctors steal tissues and organs from patients and send them to Isarel? Factually true my egyptian ass! "Turkey and America are allies, but Turkey wants to say something to its friend. We want to say the bitter truth. We want to say that this is wrong." And with friends like these, who needs enemies?