ABOUT

This is a story about a search for truth through the heart of war. Today, as new wars and military actions rage, The Road to Fallujah stands not as a record of history but as a clear warning and an offering of a path toward lasting and just peace.

In 2003, the United States went to war against Iraq. The American people, were told it was about weapons of mass destruction, toppling a ruthless dictator, terrorism, Osama bin Laden, 9/11, freedom and democracy, freeing the Iraqi people, and more. Over 4,000 American soldiers were killed, more than 30,000 were wounded, and 1 million Iraqis died. Now, 23 years later, most Americans still do not know why we went, and Iraq continues to struggle to recover.

In late 2004, at a critical moment in the war, America launched Operation Phantom Fury, the largest urban battle of the war, in the city of Fallujah. Home to more than 50,000 people, Fallujah was an ancient and holy city, considered by Iraqis to be the City of Mosques and by American forces to be the “hotbed of the insurgency” and “infested with terrorists.” The city was largely destroyed in an eight-day battle, an outcome that forever changed how the Iraqi people viewed the American mission and intentions in their country.

Immediately following the battle, filmmaker Mark Manning joined forces with Iraqi human rights worker Rana Al-Aiouby and they became the only un-embedded civilians to enter the destroyed city and document the stories of the surviving civilians. Their mission was to break through misinformation, myths, and misunderstandings and speak directly with the people, to understand their truth about what was happening and why. Beyond policy and politics, the filmmakers believed the people affected are the story. They hold the truth, and from their voices rise the answers to the complex issues that create war.

The Road to Fallujah challenges us to confront our internal biases and the external disinformation that dehumanizes, divides, and perpetuates cycles of violence. It offers a simple solution: an understanding of, and accountability to, our common humanity. From the chaos and darkness of war, a simple yet universal truth cries out. Those who care for and provide for the people are the ones who can achieve a real and just victory: a lasting peace.