House Of Saddam

About House Of Saddam

'House Of Saddam' is a co-production of HBO, BBC and RTE, released in 2008. An intense and intriguing drama based on historic events, it covers the life of Saddam Hussien, the former president of Iraq, known for his iron-fisted rule. This fascinating four-part series showcases a detailed account of Hussein's rule starting from his rise to power in 1979 till his subsequent fall in 2003.

Making / Production

The 'House Of Saddam' is directed by Alex Holmes and Jim O'Hanlon. This series aims to present a realistic portrayal of the life of the dictator and the people surrounding him. The shooting was mainly done in Tunisia, which stood as a convincing double for Iraq. The authenticity of the era was maintained meticulously in terms of set designs and costumes.

Actors

• Yigal Naor as Saddam Hussein: Naor's portrayal of the infamous dictator is commendable. He displayed a wide range of emotions capturing the terrifying malevolence and charming charisma of Saddam Hussein brilliantly.
• Shohreh Aghdashloo as Sajida Khairallah Tulfah: Aghdashloo effectively portrays Saddam's wife, Sajida, and beautifully depicts her journey from loving wife to a vengeful woman.
• Philip Arditti as Uday Hussein: Arditti delivers a great performance as Uday, Saddam's sociopathic elder son.
• Said Taghmaoui as Barzan Ibrahim: Taghmaoui convincingly plays Saddam's half-brother and intelligence chief, Barzan.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The series production took almost 2 years to complete owing to the extensive research done for its making.
• Despite being based on Saddam Hussein, the series was filmed in Tunisia, not Iraq.
• Yigal Naor, who portrayed Saddam Hussein, doesn't really speak Arabic, he learned his lines phonetically.

Awards

The series was honored with a Primetime Emmy award for its Outstanding Art Direction and a Royal Television Society honour for Best Drama Serial.

Quotes

• "You are my sons, and a son always follows his father’s path."
• "Do you think any of them have the capacity to rule?"
• "To be accursed by the weak and cowardly is a triumph, family or not."

Music, Soundtrack

• The intense soundtrack of the series was composed by Samuel Sim, known for his work on TV series like "The Victim" and "Home Fires".
• The music perfectly complements the drama's shifting tones, delivering suspense and emotion where necessary.