Most Americans are aware that the Houston-based Halliburton Energy Services corporation was contracted by the United States government to provide food, shelter and other essential services for Allied military personnel during the war in Iraq. But most have no idea who is actually cooking the food, mopping the floors and doing the laundry under Halliburton’s watch.
Nearly 30,000 workers from India, the Philippines and other Asian nations have been hired through a variety of subcontractors as “third-country nationals” to handle the grunt work in Iraq, often working long hours for meager pay and living in uncomfortable and dangerous conditions as they face the same dangers that confront American soldiers in the Middle East.
“Someone Else’s War” is a short documentary which profiles three Filipino workers in Iraq while examining the larger story of how Asian workers are hired, how they’re treated and why they are willing to face so much danger for so little reward.
“Someone Else’s War” was screened as part of the short film series at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival.