SYNPOSIS Somewhere in northern Iraq, Peshmerga foot-soldiers Rashid and Azad truck in food supplies to their comrades-in-arms. Buoyed by the American invasion, Azad greets the convoy of GIs with whoops of welcome; only one man offers a cautionary word, welcoming Saddam's fall but suggesting the U.S. is more interested in oil than democracy. Meanwhile, a teary young boy on the side of the road attracts Azad's attention. The child speaks no Kurdish, and only the cautious Rashid knows Arabic. Azad takes pity on the boy, who reminds him of his own missing brother. But Rashid's animosity grows when they discover the child's name is Saddam. The American troops, though friendly to the Peshmerga, refuse to take the Arab child, as does the imam of the local mosque. Meanwhile, running parallel to the story and injecting a note of humour, are Saddam's parents who search for him, always one step behind. Shawkat Amin Korki allows the burning detritus of war and paranoia to form an omnipresent backdrop to the more intimate action. Told in a straightforward and unadorned way, Crossing the Dust is an emotionally involving film.