OPENING OF AL-HAAK SCHOOL, IRAQ, 16 DECEMBER 2003 [Allocated Title]

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  • Title: OPENING OF AL-HAAK SCHOOL, IRAQ, 16 DECEMBER 2003 [Allocated Title]
  • Film Number: BFV 121
  • Other titles: BRITISH MILITARY OPERATIONS IN IRAQ, 2004 [Allocated Series Title]
  • Summary: British soldiers (30 Signal Regiment) attend the opening of Al-Haak Primary School in the village of Al-Haak, north of Basra.
  • Description: START 02:48:32 Bars. 02:49:32 Al-Haak Primary School sign. 02:49:44 Children gather around the camera, cheer and wave. 02:50:46 General views of the school compound; workmen carry out final maintenance to outer walls. 02:52:32 Soldiers with children and local people, outside the school. Staff Sergeant Anita Smith (30 Signal Regiment) poses with cheering children and families. 02:54:13 Lines of small girls and boys at the school entrance. 02:55:00 Crowd of children led by Staff Sergeant Smith moves forward towards the school building and enters, passing closely by the camera. 02:55:34 Further shot of school sign. 02:55:54 Second take of Sergeant Smith leading a crowd of children into the school; shot from the roof. Children clap. 02:56:35 Interior of school, where soldiers issue packs of books and stationery to the children as they file in one by one. Children sit down in the classroom; soldiers help them with crayons and colouring books. 03:01:07 Teacher leads children in singing. Soldiers help out with classroom activities. 03:05:00 Further surge of children and parents in the school playground. Children say "thank you" in English. Views of trees near the school. 03:05:52 Staff Sergeant Smith discusses the refurbishment of Al-Haak and other schools. 03:: More scenes of cheering children and of the construction site. 03:10:21 Sergeant Smith shows the dilapidated old school building with its rattan roof. 03:11:35 More close-ups of cheering children; one waves a cardboard box labelled "Britannia". 03:11:55 Views of the new school building, with work still being carried out. 03:12:21 Soldier in beret talks to children and shows them his radio headpiece. 03:12:47 School sign with Iraqi flag flying, followed by shots of the new school including interior of classroom under construction and workmen in the yard. 03:13:41 Soldiers prepare to depart as children flock around their Land Rovers (camera is in the back of a Land Rover). The vehicles drive off. View from top cover. END 03:15:30
  • Alternative Title: BRITISH MILITARY OPERATIONS IN IRAQ, 2004 [Allocated Series Title]
  • Colour: Colour
  • Digitised:
  • Object_Number: BFV 121
  • Sound: Sound
  • Access Conditions: IWM
  • Featured Period:
  • Production Date: 2003-12-16
  • Production Country: GB
  • Production Details: Defence Media Operations Centre, RAF Uxbridge (Production company)
  • Personalities, Units and Organisations: Smith, Anita (person) British Army, Royal Corps of Signals, 30 Signal Regiment (regiment/service)
  • Keywords: Al-Haak, Iraq (geography) Operation Telic, Iraq War 2003-2009 (event) British Army post-2000 (theme) Iraq post-2003 (theme)
  • Physical Characteristics: Colour format: Colour Sound format: Sound Soundtrack language: English Title language: None Subtitle language: None
  • Technical Details: Format: DVCam Number of items/reels/tapes: 1 Tape length: 40; Running time: 27 mins
  • HD Media:
  • Link to IWM Collections page:

    BFV 121

  • Related IWM Collections Objects:

    BFV 140 (FLEET COMBAT CAMERA TEAM (FCCT) TAPE 11 [Allocated Title])
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