Iraqi filmmaker Mohamed Al-Daradji’s The Journey is a taut, thought-provoking thriller that tackles what might just be the final moments of a potential suicide bomber’s life. Since the appearance of his 2006 feature debut Ahlaam (Dreams), Mohammed Al Daradji has become the filmmaker laureate of his beloved and beleaguered Iraq. With The Journey, he may have made his most complete and powerful film yet. The story follows Sara, a young Iraqi woman, as she enters Baghdad Central Station with a massive bomb strapped to her back. We see her hand clutching a detonator. It is shaking. From that tantalising set-up, Al Daradji fashions a relentlessly tense yet emotionally generous journey through a cross-section of Iraqi society. In a series of encounters, Sara meets her potential victims. Each exchange makes life the more compelling choice, yet still we see Sara struggle against the weight of her own indoctrination, leading to an unforgettable climax.

Ali Jaafar