Roads to Iraq

Iraqi-American filmmaker and actress Yasmine Hannaney will represent Iraq in the Miss Asia USA Pageant to counter common misconceptions about Iraqis.

“I want to represent Iraq and the Chaldo-Assyrian community in a fresh, positive light,� Hannaney says, “to share my enthusiasm about the culture, country, and people. I’m doing this because people probably won’t expect Iraq to have a delegate. This is a very big honor for me.�

Yasmine jokes that as a daughter of a Middle Eastern doctor and engineer, she was forced to defy cultural norms and enter the film industry. Yasmine is a graduate of the Business and Cinema-Television (BCT) program at the University of Southern California. She has established herself both in front of the camera as well as behind the scenes.

The cultural pageant includes competitions in evening gown, cultural costume, and swimsuit. Hannaney is proud to present traditional Chaldean clothing from the village of Telkayf in the North of Iraq, where her family is originally from. “The Chaldo-Assyrian community is now an ethnic and religious minority in Iraq, and we are very proud of our heritage and nationality.” Hannaney said. “It is Iraq’s collective ethnic diversity and long history that makes the country extraordinary.â€?

The swimsuit competition presents a minor challenge to Miss Iraq. Hannaney explains, “I decided that I will wear a sarong during the swimsuit competition because my family and my culture are conservative. I don’t want to offend or embarrass anyone, including myself. Representing Iraq is a big responsibility; I want to make everyone proud of me for what I’m trying to achieve.�

A USC Business and Film school graduate, Hannaney also tries to leave a positive message in every film project she works on. Hannaney was instrumental in the making of the innovative documentary film “Voices of Iraq� which gave Iraqis a firsthand opportunity to voice their opinions by distributing 150 handheld digital video cameras.

“There were so many fun, shocking, and heartfelt moments in ‘Voices of Iraq’,” Hannaney said. As the first assistant editor and main translator, Hannaney watched, translated, and edited hundreds of hours of footage from Iraq. “I think we surprised a lot of people because that’s not close to what you normally see.â€?

Also an actress, Hannaney hopes for more diversity in the types of roles available for Middle Eastern actors. “Thankfully, filmmakers are now creating deeper characters that go beyond the common Middle Eastern stereotypes. We will still have the common weeping Arab mother and the terrorist roles, but I believe that the industry is moving beyond that.�

Her current project is a short festival-bound comedy with the same lofty goals. “I know I’m taking on a big challenge and responsibility,� Hannaney says, “so I’m working toward my goals one day at a time.�

See more pictures of Yasmine here

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