TUFS Hosts a Preview Screening of the Iraqi Film “Baghdad Messi”

July 27, 2026

On Wednesday, July 22, 2026, an Iraqi film screening was held at Agora Global as part of the “Reading the World’s Media in Japanese” series organized by the University’s International Media Center. The film Baghdad Messi: The One-Legged Soccer Boy (2023, distributed by Elles Films) was shown.
Following the screening, we welcomed Counselor Ahmad Al Azzawi from the Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Japan—which supported the film’s distribution—who provided a special commentary. Referring to the film’s content, he discussed the tense social situation at the time in which the film was set, as well as the true reality of Iraq today, which differs from the image often portrayed in the media.
During the subsequent Q&A session, students asked questions about the film as well as enthusiastic inquiries such as, “What are some ways to deepen our understanding of Iraqi society and culture?” This led to a lively exchange of views with the Counselor. During the informal gathering that followed, students gathered around the Counselor and engaged in friendly conversation, making it a highly meaningful opportunity to deepen their understanding of Middle Eastern society and culture.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to Mr. Kenya Kurihara (a 2019 graduate of the School of International and Area Studies, majoring in French in the Southwest European Region), an alumnus of our university, for his tremendous cooperation in organizing this screening—from the initial planning to liaising and coordinating with the distribution company.

Our university will continue to provide opportunities to deepen understanding of diverse cultures and societies.

　 (This text was translated by AI.)