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Baghdad Central
Baghdad Central “In November, 2003, with Saddam
  Hussein in hiding and the US-led
  invasion casting a shadow over Iraq,
  while a former policeman cares for
  his seriously ill youngest daughter his
  eldest disappears, leaving him with
  a moral dilemma in the gritty six-part
  thriller Baghdad Central...”

HAVING LOST EVERYTHING DURING THE WAR, former Iraqi policeman Muhsin Khadr al-Khafaji (Waleed Zuaaiter: Altered Carbon) is concerned for the welfare of his two daughters following the death of his wife from cancer and the execution of his son Tareq, who was arrested as a dissident.

Iraq, known as the cradle of civilisation, is now under the control of a US-led coalition and Khafaji's youngest daughter Mrouj (July Namir: Homeland) is seriously ill and in need of urgent medical treatment if she is to survive.

“Baghdad Central…
a talented cast of actors
vibrantly depict war-
ravaged Iraq in a tense
and riveting story of
betrayal, murder, tragedy
and dishonesty with the
odd light-hearted banter.
One not to miss...”
Khafaji's eldest daughter Sawsan (Leem Lubani: Omar) has been living with her aunt and uncle, Maha (Nahar Ramadam) and Nidal Faraj (Hisham Suliman), but Khafaji discovers that Sawsan has not been attending her classes at the university and has vanished.

Fearing she has been abducted or killed, her father calls on the skills he learned as a policeman to try to track her down; although in the current uncertain climate and with many Iraqis hating the presence of the American army, he has a difficult task ahead.

The only clue is a CA Pass bearing the name "Suzy", suggesting that Sawsan is a translator for the Americans. Angry she is in danger, Khafaji wants to find out who arranged the work for her. He questions her tutor, Professor Zubeida Rashid (Clara Khoury: Homeland), who may know more than she tells him.

Meanwhile, American Clark Kibbert (Jonny Holden) is missing. He was involved with another Iraqi translator, Sanaa, known as Candy (Nora El Koussour), incurring the wrath of her cousin Amjad (Tawfeek Barhom).

During Khafaji's investigations, he goes to the Republican Palace where he meets Frank Temple (Bertie Carvel: Doctor Foster), a British officer who recruits him to help rebuild the local police force with the help of abrasive American Military Police Captain John Parodi (Corey Stoll: House of Cards).

Temple is keen to have Iraqi police back on the streets, believing that men like him are the future. He promises treatment for Mrouj.

Keen to help his daughters, Khafaji agrees to cooperate with the occupying coalition despite placing himself in danger and risking everything to discover what happened to Sawsan.

He suspects the Professor may know more about Sawsan's whereabouts than she is prepared to say and security operative Dougas Evans (Neil Maskell: Utopia) proves a further dangerous and terrifying threat.

As Khafaji starts to realise the depth of corruption and deception, he becomes aware of possible links between the apparent insurgent kidnapping of Clark Kibbert and Sawsan's disappearance. He is heading towards a dangerous, explosive situation where even his own intuition and capabilities may not help him come out alive.

Baghdad Central is described as a powerful and gripping thriller with twists and turns as it looks at the human aspect of both the Iraqis and the coalition forces occupying their country.

Inspired by real events, a talented cast of actors vibrantly depict war-ravaged Iraq in a tense, riveting story of betrayal, murder and tragedy with the odd light-hearted banter. One not to miss.

Baghdad Central also features: Charlotte Spencer as Megan Ford; Nadia Niazi as Candy's Mother; Maisa Abd Elhadi as Zahra; Youssef Kerkow as Karl the Taxi Driver; Warred Namer as Young Tareq; Zahra Ghandour as Suheir; Larsa Namer as Young Sawsan; and Salma Namer as Young Mrouj.

Music is by H Scott Salinas; Director of Photography is Christophe Nuyens SBC; Series Written and Created by BAFTA Nominated Stephen Butchard (The Last Kingdom), Based on the Novel Baghdad Central by Elliott Colla; Producer is Jonathan Curling; and Directed by Alice Troughton.

* The six-part crime thriller Baghdad Central aired in February on Channel 4 and arrives on DVD and Digital from Acorn Media International on 16 March 2020. Certificate: 15 | Running Time: 6 x 27 Minutes on Two Discs | Catalogue Number: AV3589 | RRP: £24.99. Extras include: Introduction to Baghdad Central | Six Mini Features.

"Baghdad Central… a talented cast of actors vibrantly depict war-ravaged Iraq in a tense and riveting story of betrayal, murder, tragedy and dishonesty with the odd light-hearted banter. One not to miss" — **** Maggie Woods, MotorBar

"Classic detective noir… consistently intriguing and superbly acted" — Times Saturday Review

"A twist-filled thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat from the off" — The Sun

"The sense of menace and paranoia swirling around the city is powerfully realised… rich in emotional succour" **** — Financial Times

"Classy… sinuous adaptation mixes procedural and heartfelt drama" — Radio Times
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