Monday, November 25, 2002

That Saddam, what a guy!
Ted Loos astounds in the NY Times with 'Uncle Saddam': An Avuncular Uncle He Is Definitely Not:
Two years ago, Joel Soler chose to go on a dangerous journey to the Middle East to shoot an irreverent biography of a dictator who was then, in Mr. Soler's words, "a dead story."

Now the subject of "Uncle Saddam," which is being shown Tuesday on Cinemax, is probably the world's most talked-about person. As the world debates about war with Iraq, Mr. Soler's film introduces a strange new perspective on Saddam Hussein.

Did you know that Saddam likes to be greeted with a kiss near the armpit? That he sometimes fishes with grenades? That he is building the world's largest mosque near a man-made island shaped exactly like his thumbprint? These are among the personal details Mr. Soler has gathered in his highly selective and darkly humorous biography, meant to highlight what he calls the "camp" aspects of a dictator's rule.
Unsurprisingly, Mr. Soler does not give out his address. Don't miss the photo of the armpit kissing.