Nowness - The Last Singer

​The Last Singer takes director Ivan Olita to the marshes of Iraq, documenting the stoic life of Marsh Arab Abu Haider as he fights to keep a dying tradition alive. In the wake of the marshes destruction by Sadam Hussein in the 1990s, the Marsh Arab community has shrunk immensely, with many forced to leave for nearby towns or refugee camps.

“The marshes are a fundamental part of their identity, permeating both the material and spiritual,” says Olita. “To lose that makes it impossible to hold on to their history and traditions. At one time Haider’s singing was a connection to his community, but now it’s a connection to the past.”​