PHOENIX, NEW YORK and SADR CITY, Baghdad, Iraq, March 1, 2013 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- Shai: Arabic for "Tea."  Commonly shared by friends when sitting down to speak; an excellent alternative to machine guns.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130301/CG69793)

Iraq War veteran Daniel Somers is traveling back to Baghdad in order to meet with his former enemies ("insurgents") face to face in order to discover why, on a personal level, he and they were literally trying to kill one another, and possibly to find some common ground...  Or even redemption.  A film crew will be joining him to document his quest and bring the human element of this latest war to the public in a way that has never been seen before.

Going into areas of Baghdad that most film crews fear to tread, this bold documentary will chronicle the quest to find answerst to the most troubling questions from the Iraq war.  Why did so many otherwise ordinary people - who were not terrorists or otherwise extremists - feel the need to take up arms against the US miliary and US-backed government?  How do these fighters see themselves?  How different are we, really?  Is there any way that we can reconcile our points of view with words instead of bullets?  Would these same people rise up again, and if so, for what reason?  Can we find understanding, or even friendship, on a personal level?  Could such a friendship extend to entire groups on both sides of the world?  What can we learn about potential future conflicts in the region?

It is absolutely critical that we understand the last war before we endeavor to enter another, yet those "on the ground" have yet to be given a voice as to why they chose a given path.

The time for this project is now, as news continues to swirl around the next war in the region, be it Syria, Iran, or some new perceived threat on the horizon.  As such, crowd-funding campaign is already underway to cover filming expenses so that the team can depart immediately.  We are aiming to be in principal photography within 60 days of today, and we have already raised enough funds to cover the basics.  We are going, and it will be before the end of May.

It is important that we receive as much support as possible early on, as that will encourage others to fund as well.  Anyone interested in supporting should visit: http://rkthb.co/19924

Just as important, we need as many people as possible to spread the word via social media at:

(like) http://www.facebook.com/ProjectShai
(follow) http://www.twitter.com/projectshai
(email) projectshai@gmail.com

About Daniel:  While serving on a Tactical Human-intelligence Team (THT) in Baghdad, Iraq, he ran more than 400 combat missions, interviewed countless Iraqis ranging from concerned citizens to community leaders and government officials, and interrogated dozens of insurgent and terrorist suspects.  Based upon the above, he wrote daily reports to inform both local command and leaders in Washington D.C. as to the situation in Baghdad and around the Middle East.

He later studied Arabic at the defense language Institute (where he was Honor Grad for his class) moved into a special operations role where he acted as the senior analyst for the Levant (Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Israel, and part of Turkey), and deployed a second time with a clandestine/covert unit.

Since then, he has been making his way as a record producer and partner in a recording studio in Phoenix, Arizona.

About Chase: A master's graduate of NYU film, Chase Marotz is acting as producer for the film, finding the best crew possible to make the film succeed at any price point, as well as securing studio backing and distribution for the final release.

Media Contact: Daniel Somers Project Shai, 831-917-8591, ProjectShai@gmail.com

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SOURCE Project Shai