Ishtar Coming

Amid the laughter and chatter of a glamorous garden party, two middle-aged women exchange false pleasantries, followed by sarcasm and insults. In a flash, they are wrestling on the lawn, scratching and biting as the horrified guests look on. This is 1980s Iraq. The war with Iran is in full swing, but Baghdad’s party-going elites are more concerned with gossip, infidelity, fashion and feuds. Amo...