Once Upon a Time in IraqEpisodes Guide

Documentary examining the realities of war and life under Isis, with unique personal archive from civilians and soldiers from both sides of the conflict. As war began, many Iraqis were hopeful. Ahmed Al Bashir, now a renowned comedian, remembers practising his English with US troops before the realities of occupation became clear. Waleed Nesyif was 18 when George Bush gave Saddam Hussein just 48 hours to leave Iraq. He was, like many Iraqi teenagers at that time, infatuated by the West. But while many of his generation grew up enjoying songs by the Backstreet Boys, Waleed formed Iraq's first heavy metal band. Narrated by Andy Serkis.

A look at the impact of the insurgency from the perspectives of American soldier Lt Col Nate Sassaman and Baghdadi Alaa Adel, who was 12 when she suffered life-changing injuries. Unprepared for the hostile environment he found himself in, Sassaman was pushed to the very darkest regions of his psyche. Alaa was hit in the face by shrapnel from one of the first roadside bombs planted by insurgents and intended for American forces. Looking back at that time, both question the benefits of the war in Iraq.

The story of the battle for Fallujah is told though the eyewitness accounts of journalists, soldiers and civilians. Reporter Dexter Filkins and photographer Ashley Gilbertson were embedded with US Marines, with Gilberston revealing how the decision to capture an image of an Iraqi sniper changed not only his life but the lives of the soldiers with him. Fallujah resident Nidhal Abed talks about the fateful moment when she left her home to take her son to the doctors just a few streets away.

When Saddam Hussein is captured by American troops, CIA analyst John Nixon is the first person to interrogate him. Saddam's answers leave Nixon both surprised and horrified.

The emergence of ISIS concludes the brutal legacy of the Iraq War.