@RobinParker Another factor in establishing the parameters was that we selected pivotal moments that we felt we could tell from multiple perspectives, using archive and the interplay between different contributors to immerse the viewer.

As you rightly point out, it is a challenge to connect with a wide audience, providing clarity as well as fresh revelations. Like with any story, you want the narrative to be widely accessible and engaging, without patronising the more informed viewer.

It’s a delicate balance that the team worked on up until the very end. When we felt context was needed, we added it. But often, we were telling human stories, which an audience can relate to on an emotional level without any need for background knowledge.

It was amazing to hear the Iraqi people's stories finally being given a voice. Beautifully made. Most of my father's relatives are still in Baghdad and I have to say Thank you for them, for telling the story of this war torn country through individual's stories in such an unbiased way, I sincerely hope you win an RTS award for this powerful documentary series.

Thank you very much for this @NadyaMahdi, it's very special to hear that the series spoke to an experience that your family could connect with.

@AshleyFrancis-Roy The challenges were accessing and digitising all the tapes we found, as well as reviewing an immense amount of footage. It was no small feat, as it required understanding not only the context of the rushes but also how they could speak to our contributors’ stories and the overall narrative. The team were very lucky to have the amazing Archive Producer Miriam Walsh, Archive Researcher @MariamKoloyan and support from the post team @KEOFILMS

@AshleyFrancis-Roy Another important aspect was building trust with the people who owned archive, especially as some of this footage was sensitive and personal.

@GusPalmer Local producers and journalists were also very helpful in pointing us in the right direction, particularly when it came to Iraq, where the civilians’ stories weren’t necessarily documented in the same accessible way. There were a number of recce trips to America and Iraq, where we were able to properly meet and connect with the contributors and get a sense of their stories firsthand.