The MalaysianCensor Board, Censorship Film Malaysia, has overturned its previous ruling toban Bahman Ghobadi's Marooned In Iraq. The board originally informeddistributor Sureya Film at the end of March that the film promoted the image ofSaddam Hussein as "inhumane" and would be damaging to relationsbetween Malaysia and Iraq and Iran.

The ruling was overturned this week in the wake ofSaddam's removal from power by a US-led coalition army.

A personal filmretitled from Cannes 2002 where it played in Un Certain Regard as Songs FromMy Homeland, MaroonedIn Iraq follows an oldIranian Kurd musician who sets out in search of his long estranged wife whocrossed over into Iraqi Kurdistan years earlier. When he finds her, it emergesthat she has been badly deformed by the chemical attacks of March 1988 whichkilled 15,000 Kurds.

Sales agent Menemsha Films will screen the film in themarket at Cannes this year. It has already been sold to Movienet which willrelease in Germany on May 29, Coli Films in France, Sanmarusan in Japan andActionFilm in Norway. US distributor Wellspring opened the film domestically onApril 18.

Menemsha'sNeil Friedman said he is currently in negotiation on a host of otherterritories. "With the strong reviews the film has garnered in the USmarket to date and the upcoming success we feel the film will have in theGerman market, the film should sell strongly throughout the world to arthousedistributors."