Hiding Saddam Hussein

The footage of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein crawling out of a hole in the ground in 2003 is iconic. Now, 20 years later, the man who dug that hole tells the fantastical story of how he, an ordinary farmer, hid the deposed president beneath a flowerbed in his garden for eight months.

On camera, he talks about the day his house was selected as a hideaway for this wanted man, hunted by 150,000 US soldiers. The Iraqi farmer had no choice but to assume the role of presidential hairdresser, physician and bodyguard—and something akin to a friendship seems to have grown between them as they ate together and helped wash each other’s backs.

His story is richly illustrated with re-enacted scenes interspersed with clips from news reports of the time. The farmer had no plans to violate his duty as a host, even when the US offered a reward of $25 million. He talks in detail about how this huge secret was able to remain hidden for so long.