'Newsnight showed me my county'

Salam Pax: "You think you know your people, but you don't"

Salam Pax's video diary series made for Newsnight has just been screened at the Vancouver International Film Festival.

The Iraqi student - whose web log gave the world a rare insight on life for ordinary Iraqis in the run-up to the war - says he discovered his country by making the films.

Click here to watch Salam Pax's short films

He says: "It's been a wonderful journey of discovery for me, because I had trouble with my ID I couldn't leave Baghdad before.

People can now talk about things they couldn't before, you think you know your people but no, you don't.

"They're talking about things that have been canned in for 30 years and it's really very exciting."

The seven films have just been screened at the 23rd Vancouver International Film Festival.

He told Newsnight: "Just over one year ago I was sitting in Baghdad just writing this web log, now I'm watching my films at a film festival in Vancouver.

"It's incredible. I'm embarrassed. It's like a parallel universe!"

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10 November 2003

26 November 2003

23 December 2003

16 March 2003

24 March 2004

14 September 2004

21 September 2004