With Jim Sabatini

City of Ghosts

Rated: R for disturbing violent content, and for some language.
Reviewed by: Jim
Release date: July 7, 2017	Released by: IFC Films

A hard-hitting, taut documentary from Michael Heineman (Cartel Land) puts run-of-the-mill Syrians at the forefront of eradication in 2014 ignited by a systematic, brutal organization - Islamic State (ISIS).

In City of Ghosts the deft filmmaker really produces unpretentious, informative entertainment that is quite heartbreaking especially with the effect of music and editing in his talented technical coterie, at least a couple of whom gave a lot more than their precious time.

The eponymous locale is Raqqa and a unit of denizens turn into contributors propagating videos and articles including nightmarish clips of public executions. Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently (RBSS) is their name and their mission involves social media and YouTube with many really becoming starkly acquainted with an emotional stranglehold that tests their willpower.

Heineman excels in a cinematic verisimilitude that has a damaging hypnotism about it from the sharply staged set-pieces to the incisive interviews.