Michael Tucker, an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 documentary film director

Film director

A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...

, was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. He is currently best known for his recent documentary The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair

The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair

The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair is a documentary film by American documentary filmmaker Michael Tucker.The film depicts Yunis Khatayer Abbas, an Iraqi journalist who was detained by US troops in 2003 and later imprisoned at Abu Ghraib prison for nine months...

. He also directed a documentary in Iraq during the 2003 Iraqi War

2003 invasion of Iraq

The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...

 entitled Gunner Palace

Gunner Palace

Gunner Palace is a 2004 documentary film by American documentary filmmaker Michael Tucker, which had a limited release in the United States on March 4, 2005. The film was an account of the complex realities of the situation in Iraq during 2003–2004 amidst the Iraqi insurgency not seen on the...

.

The Iraqi Experience

From May 2003 to June 2004 he traveled to Iraq

Iraq

Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....

 numerous times during the height of the Iraqi insurgency

Iraqi insurgency

The Iraqi Resistance is composed of a diverse mix of militias, foreign fighters, all-Iraqi units or mixtures opposing the United States-led multinational force in Iraq and the post-2003 Iraqi government...

 for the purpose of putting together a documentary. For two months he lived with the 2/3 Artillery, a.k.a. "The Gunners" in one of Uday Hussein

Uday Hussein

Uday Saddam Hussein al-Tikriti , was the eldest son of Saddam Hussein from his first wife, Sajida Talfah. He was the brother of Qusay Hussein. Uday was for several years seen as the heir apparent of his father; however, Uday lost his place in the line of succession due to his erratic behavior and...

's palaces where they were stationed. His film was aimed at capturing the lives and humanity of the soldiers who were situated in the center of Baghdad

Baghdad

Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...

, one of the most volatile regions of the city. The film was co-directed by Petra Epperlein and distributed by Palm Pictures

Palm Pictures

Palm Pictures is a US-based entertainment company owned and run by Chris Blackwell. Palm Pictures produces, acquires and distributes innovative music and film projects with a particular focus on the DVD format...

, with a release in the United States on March 4, 2005.

He also co-directed a 16 minute short film called The Last Cowboy with Epperlein in 1998.

Filmography

• The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair
  The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair
  The Prisoner or: How I Planned to Kill Tony Blair is a documentary film by American documentary filmmaker Michael Tucker.The film depicts Yunis Khatayer Abbas, an Iraqi journalist who was detained by US troops in 2003 and later imprisoned at Abu Ghraib prison for nine months...
  
  (2006)
• This Film Is Not Yet Rated
  This Film Is Not Yet Rated
  This Film is Not Yet Rated is a 2006 independent documentary film about the Motion Picture Association of America's rating system and its effect on American culture, directed by Kirby Dick and produced by Eddie Schmidt. It premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival and was released limited on...
  
   (2006) (in an interview as himself)
• Gunner Palace
  Gunner Palace
  Gunner Palace is a 2004 documentary film by American documentary filmmaker Michael Tucker, which had a limited release in the United States on March 4, 2005. The film was an account of the complex realities of the situation in Iraq during 2003–2004 amidst the Iraqi insurgency not seen on the...
  
  (2004)
• The Last Cowboy (1998)
• Bulletproof Salesman (2008)
• How to Fold a Flag (2009)
• Fightville (2010)

External links

• Review of The Prisoner, Mother Jones, March 22, 2007