Documents of War: The War on Terror
Documentaries involving the War in Afghanistan (2001-present), the Iraq War (2003-2011), and the operation of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp (2002-present). Topics range from the politics and propaganda involved in the War on Terror to the soldiers and citizens affected by it.
List order is from newest to oldest (by year of release), and titles are sorted alphabetically within each year.
Related documentary list: Documents of War: The Vietnam War
List order is from newest to oldest (by year of release), and titles are sorted alphabetically within each year.
Related documentary list: Documents of War: The Vietnam War
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145 titles
- DirectorDavid SalzbergChristian TureaudStarsFrank AdamskiOfren ArrechagaEd BankstonArmed only with their cameras, Peabody and Emmy Award-winning conflict Journalist Mike Boettcher, and his son, Carlos, provide unprecedented access into the longest war in U.S. history.
- DirectorSebastian JungerStarsLaMonta CaldwellMiguel CortezStephen GillespieKorengal picks up where Restrepo (2010) left off--with the same men, in the same valley, with the same commanders--but presents a very different look at the experience of war.
- DirectorMichael KirkStarsWill LymanPeter BakerThomas RicksFrom PBS and FRONTLINE: FRONTLINE examines the unfolding chaos in Iraq and how the U.S. is being pulled back into the conflict. Drawing on interviews with policymakers and military leaders, the film traces the U.S. role from the 2003 invasion to the current violence, showing how Iraq itself is coming undone, how we got here, what went wrong, and what happens next.
- DirectorAmir AmiraniStarsSusan SarandonMark RylanceDanny GloverThe story of the biggest demonstration in human history, which took place on 15th February 2003, against the impending war on Iraq.
- DirectorRick RowleyStarsJeremy ScahillNasser Al AulaqiSaleha Al AulaqiInvestigative journalist Jeremy Scahill is pulled into an unexpected journey as he chases down the hidden truth behind America's expanding covert wars.
- DirectorMichael GolembeskyThis film is an artistic look at the war in Afghanistan and the reflection and quiet still that many Veterans bring home with them. It is a collection of HD helmet camera footage of Marine and Army Special Operations in the village of Daneh Pasab, Afghanistan in April of 2010; offset by the integration of current footage shot around Colorado along with a collection of original music by independent artist. The film is a balance between personal reflection footage in Colorado where the story is being narrated and raw, violent experiences of service in Afghanistan.
- An elite Combat Rescue team of the US Air Force, rescue wounded American or Allied forces in lethal danger. Pararescuemen, or PJs, return to the front lines of Afghanistan and East Europe for Operation Enduring Freedom and is seen through the eyes of those on the ground and in the air.
- StarsAlex JenningsZain UllahDick CheneyTop US, European and Iraqi leaders - political and military - tell the inside story of their private talks, phone calls, deals and clashes. Former members of Saddam Hussein's regime tell - for the first time on television - just what he said to them as the threat of war grew. Over three episodes, the series gets the insiders to tell what happened at crucial moments on the road to war following 9/11, the first year after the invasion as Iraq's liberation became a US occupation and Iraq's descent into civil war and the Americans struggle to turn the country round.
- DirectorDan KraussStarsAdam WinfieldChristopher WinfieldEmma WinfieldThis provocative, bold, and deeply moving documentary profiles Adam Winfield, a soldier-turned-whistleblower who returns from the battlefield to expose shocking war crimes that the U.S. Army will do anything to cover up.
- DirectorGreg BarkerStarsOsama bin LadenNada BakosMarty MartinFilled with testimony and recollections from actual C.I.A. agents, this in-depth account reveals the remarkable true story of the pursuit of the world's most notorious terrorist, Osama bin Laden.
- DirectorEva OrnerThe Network is a documentary set behind the scenes at the largest television network in one of the most unstable and dangerous places on earth, Afghanistan.
- DirectorFredric LeanStarsHaider Al-SaedyMaha AlkhafajiBob Carey'The Wind of Al Amal' explores the complicated struggle and fragmented stories of some Iraqi refugees and exiled as some of them attempt to integrate themselves into the American landscape while struggling with the haunting demons of their past. The Wind of Al-Amal is the first US/French co-production for a feature length documentary about one of the world's largest refugee crisis in the world today: The invisible ongoing Iraqi Refugees plight. 10 years later: Is anyone still paying attention?
- DirectorJustin J. SpringerStarsSean HollinsJosh KisnerTorrey KramerArmy veteran Justin Springer served two tours in Iraq where he witnessed dozens of Soldiers in his unit suffer from the signature wound of the war-traumatic brain injury (TBI.) The result of exposure to the blasts of roadside bombs, TBI can plague Soldiers with a combination of severe headaches, chronic pain, impaired memory and concentration, and behavioral distress. Concerned about the state of military medical care following controversy at the Army's Walter Reed hospital, Justin embarked upon a journey to discover a Soldier's perspective on an injury estimated to affect 1 in 4 returning veterans. Filmed over the course of two years, Along Recovery is a compelling documentary focused on four Soldiers who were evacuated from combat for treatment at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. With unprecedented access inside the Army's flagship hospital, Along Recovery depicts the struggles and successes of each Soldier as he battles an invisible injury which doctors do not fully understand.
- DirectorJohn GianvitoJon JostMinda MartinStarsAndre GregoryFive accomplished, politically progressive film-makers come together to raise the collective consciousness about the U.S. war in Afghanistan, officially the longest war in U.S. history. Inspired by the 1967 collaborative undertaking, 'Loin du Vietnam', 'Far from Afghanistan' explores, through a mosaic of approaches, issues of shared responsibility, history and memory - all in a concerted effort to help accelerate political resistance to the war.
- DirectorBeth MurphyStarsKirk Wallace JohnsonA modern day Oskar Schindler story that focuses on Kirk Johnson, a young American fighting to save thousands of Iraqis whose lives are in danger because they worked for the U.S. to help rebuild Iraq. After leading reconstruction teams in Baghdad and Fallujah, Kirk returns home only to discover that many of his former Iraqi colleagues are being killed, kidnapped or forced into exile by radical militias. Frustrated by a stagnating government bureaucracy in the U.S. that has failed to protect its 'Iraqi allies,' Kirk begins compiling a list of their names and helps them find refuge and a new life in America.
- DirectorEduardas SilvaStarsRoss KempAlgis RamanauskasEduardas SilvaDocumentaries about 10 year Lithuanian military operations in Afghanistan. Filming Crew follow Special operation forces in South of Afghanistan and Chagcharan PRT. 2012 Season 5 documentary episodes about Afghan war, roots, progress and near future.
- DirectorBestor CramMike MajorosDavid ZeigerStarsSelena CoppaZollie GoodmanClifton HicksIn March of 2008, 250 veterans and active duty soldiers marked the fifth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq by gathering in Washington, DC to testify from their own experience about the nature of the occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq. Inspired by the 1971 Winter Soldier Investigation held by the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, they too sought to express their opposition to those wars with their first-hand accounts, bearing witness with voices not generally heard. Our documentary is a portrait of three participants. If follows their lives for 6 weeks leading to the even and afterward; an active duty female soldier, a 9 year National Guard Veteran, and a 3 tour former Marine. This is their story.
- DirectorSimone de VriesThis documentary looks for an answer to the question of why the number of suicides among young American veterans and soldiers of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is so frighteningly high.
- StarsRicky ThibeaultSam DurhamJeremy SteinFollowing multiple US Military EOD (Explosive Ordinance Disposal) Squads, which take care of disarming or destroying dangerous improvised explosive devices (IED) from the Taliban.
- DirectorMartha DavisStarsDiane DavisGian-Murray GianinoLee Aaron RosenDoctors of the Dark Side is the first feature length documentary about the pivotal role of physicians and psychologists in detainee torture. The stories of four detainees and the doctors involved in their abuse demonstrate how US Army and CIA doctors implemented the Enhanced Interrogation Techniques and covered up signs of torture at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib. Interviews with medical, legal and intelligence experts and evidence from declassified government memos document what has been called the greatest scandal in American medical ethics. Based on four years of research by Producer/Director Martha Davis, written by Oscar winning Mark Jonathan Harris, and filmed in HD by Emmy winning DP Lisa Rinzler, the film shows how the torture of detainees could not continue without the assistance of the doctors.
- DirectorNara GarberBetsy NaglerAs families across America endure the repeated deployment of loved ones to Iraq and Afghanistan, many attempt to fill the void with Flat Daddies and Heroes on a Stick, life-sized cardboard cutouts of their husbands, wives, sons, and daughters serving overseas. The documentary feature "Flat Daddy" uses these two-dimensional surrogates as a connecting thread to explore the lasting impact of the war on the families left behind.
- DirectorDanfung DennisStarsNathan HarrisAshley HarrisThe Marines of Echo CompanyWhat does it mean to lead men in war? What does it mean to come home? Hell and Back Again is a cinematically revolutionary film that asks and answers these questions with a power and intimacy no previous film about the conflict in Afghanistan has been able to achieve. It is a masterpiece in the cinema of war.
- DirectorJames SpioneStarsEthan McCordU.S. Army veteran Ethan McCord recounts his life-changing experiences at the scene of one of the most notorious events of the Iraq War: the slaying of two Reuters journalists, along with a group of mostly unarmed men, on the streets of Baghdad by American attack helicopters in July 2007.
- The story of the war in Afghanistan: filmed by soldiers, shot by soldiers.
- DirectorHeather CourtneyA documentary that chronicles four years in the lives of childhood friends as they enter a faraway war.
- DirectorJanus MetzDanish soldiers are sent to Afghanistan in 2009 for 6 months, to help stabilize the country against the Taliban. They're stationed on Armadillo military base in Helman province. Unlike other war movies, this is the real deal - no actors.
- DirectorKern KonwiserStarsJohn BellGary BradleyPaul BrawleyBest selling journalist/filmmaker Jon Steele ("War Junkies") takes a journey inside the Iraq war in a manner never before seen on camera as he stays embedded for 90 days with the boys of Baker Company, as they move into an Al Qaeda hotbed. At stake is a new mission, a transition away from 'shock and awe' to adopt a 'hearts and minds' campaign that includes cash payouts to the local Sunni population.
- DirectorAnthony WonkeStarsRobert GatesStanley McChrystalMike MullenOn February 13, 2010, American-led coalition forces launched the biggest military operation since the beginning of the Afghanistan War. Their target was the town of Marjah, a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan. There, the Marines had four tasks: remove the Taliban, hold all ground seized, build infrastructure and governance, and transfer control to Afghan security forces. In this powerful account, award-winning journalist Ben Anderson tells the story of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marines, and its commanding officer, Captain Ryan Sparks. At the battle's outset, Sparks and the 272 men of Bravo are flown 12 miles and dropped into the center of Marjah, where the Taliban lie in wait. For the young Marines, their first task begins. Embedded with Bravo Company, Anderson provides an intimate and sobering look at the realities of counterinsurgency warfare.
- StarsGabriel ChristiansonPeter CoyoteGerard DempsterNational Geographic Explorer offers an inside look at Camp Leatherneck the U.S. Marine base of operation in Afghanistan where more than 10,000 soldiers are charged with fighting the Taliban.
- DirectorCarol DysingerCamp Victory, Afghanistan is the true story of the American Exit Strategy. Using 300 hours of footage shot over the course of three years, the film follows a battle-tested Afghan General and the steady stream of U.S. National Guard soldiers deployed to train the men of his newly formed battalion. It is the first film to examine the reality of building a functioning Afghan military-- but it is also a story about friendship and the unlikely bonds that form across cultural, political and social barriers.
- DirectorKevin McElroyStarsRyan HallbergCheryl Berg WinemanRyan Hallberg is a young Iraq Veteran from Minnesota that tells his story of his life in the Military and experiences from the time that he enlisted right out of high school, to the convoy mission that ended his Military career due to a roadside bomb; an IED attack. He shares his hardships with the aftermath of the attack that left him critically injured, enduring weeks of treatments and surgeries in the hospital, but also shows his courage and will to move forward in life even after his leg was amputated. If he had a choice to go back and do it all over again, he would still choose the same path into the military because of his honor and respect that he has for his country.
- DirectorTyler ElliottStarsTyler ElliottIt is a topic of debate and controversy around the world, but for the young men of Hooligan Platoon, war-torn Afghanistan is a reality they have to endure day in and day out. Directed by Tyler Elliott, Hooligans At War is a rare and unique look inside the everyday lives of soldiers fighting a war of counter insurgency. Follow Hooligan Platoon as they experience the dangers, boredom and the reality of being away from home for many months at a time. Hooligans At War is a must see film.
- DirectorLaura PoitrasStarsOsama bin LadenSalim HamdanAbu JandalTells the story of two men whose fateful encounter in 1996 set them on a course of events that led them to Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden, 9/11, Guantanamo, and the U.S. Supreme Court.
- DirectorSara NessonApple pie cheerleader turned tough-as-nails machine gunner in the Iraq War, Sgt. Robynn Murray comes home to face a new kind of battle she never anticipated.
- DirectorTim HetheringtonSebastian JungerStarsThe Men of Battle Company 2nd of the 503rd Infantry Regiment 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat TeamJuan 'Doc RestrepoDan KearneyA year with one platoon in the deadliest valley in Afghanistan.
- DirectorDaniel EdgeStarsRobert AlvarezJose BarcoBruce BastienFrontline investigates the violence, depression, and stress exhibited by a platoon of Iraq War veterans whose members who have committed murder, assault, and suicide.
- DirectorLuc CôtéPatricio HenríquezThe interrogation recordings of the underaged Canadian Guantanamo Bay prisoner, Omar Khadr, by Canadian intelligence personnel are presented with observations by his attorneys and former cell mates.
- DirectorJorrit KammingaKim TaminiauJohan ZielstraAfghan and Russian war veterans look back on Afghanistan, the "Land of Wonders", at the time of the Soviet occupation. Aside from the human suffering and tragedy, there is a room to look at the beautiful aspects of Afghanistan.
- DirectorJake RademacherStarsJake RademacherIsaac RademacherJoe RademacherAn intimate portrait of an American family during a turbulent time. Jake Rademacher sets out to understand the experience, sacrifice, and motivation of his two brothers serving in Iraq. The film follows Jake's exploits as he risks everything-including his life-to tell his brothers' story. Often humorous, but sometimes downright lethal, it is a remarkable journey where Jake embeds with four combat units in Iraq. Unprecedented access to US and Iraqi combat units take him behind the camouflage curtain with secret reconnaissance troops on the Syrian border, into sniper "hide sites" in the Sunni Triangle, through raging machine gun battles with the Iraqi Army. Ultimately, the film follows his brothers home where separations and life-threatening work ripple through their parents, siblings, wives, and children. It is a rare look at the bonds and service of our soldiers on the front lines and the profound effects their service has on the loved ones they leave behind.
- DirectorRichard AtkinsonRichard AtkinsonNeil ColeStarsMartin WebsterIn Iraq 2003 Corporal Martin Webster filmed fellow soldiers beating Iraqi youths during rioting in Al Amara. Two years later, a British newspaper obtained his footage. The story that ran led to outrage across the world.
- DirectorAva LowreyStarsJames C. BaileyCharlie CarlsonMichael PrysnerStaff Sergeant James C. Bailey, Corporal Michael Prysner, and Staff Sergeant Charlie Carlson are three very different people, but each shares a common experience - the war in Iraq. Together these three veterans recount their experiences in the war and share the challenges they faced both in Iraq and returning home to a nation that is unaware of the harsh reality on the ground in Iraq. 'FALLOUT: Coming Home from the War in Iraq' is not just another documentary about the war in Iraq. These firsthand witnesses explain how their experiences have affected them and altered their views on the war, the media, the public, and the leaders who put their lives on the line.
- DirectorPetra EpperleinMichael TuckerStarsJavorn DrummondMichael GossJon PowersFollows U.S. soldiers as they create new lives post Iraq from a Congressional candidate in Buffalo to a cage fighter in Louisiana, set against the backdrop of the 2008 election.
- DirectorJonathan FloraStarsGary SiniseJonathan FloraKimo Williams
- DirectorSabrina WulffStarsCorey GlassDale LandryDean WalcottA portrait of three deserters from the American army, who now live in Canada. In Redemption, they speak about their memories of the war in Iraq, a war that they all now view as senseless. "Even sitting here now, I'm smelling burning flesh," one of them says. Such memories simply refuse to go away, however much the young men would like them to. If they could, they would all like to take back their decision to join the army. They also talk about the methods used to entice soldiers to join up. And we see how they now live: disillusioned, slumped on the sofa, drinking beer and smoking joints. In their early twenties, they already seem to have lost most of their youthful energy. These deserters also feel guilty -- not about deserting, but about having taken part in the war in Iraq at all in the first place. The interviews are interspersed with footage of the war and of the homes the deserters have left behind. So why did they ever join up? Boredom, unemployment, lack of self-worth. And -- above all -- the rosy picture painted of the army's role in Iraq: "I thought I would be feeding hungry children."
- DirectorRobert GreenwaldStarsTariq AliFaiysal AlikhanAndrew BacevichAward-winning filmmaker Robert Greenwald and Brave New Foundation deliver a ground-breaking documentary that shatters all perceived truths behind the war in Afghanistan.
- DirectorKristian FragaStarsJiemar PatacsilMike ScottiAs part of the first wave in the War on Terror, First Lieutenant Mike Scotti (awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat "V") served on the front lines during the 21 day advance to Baghdad. His experiences in Afghanistan as well as Iraq put him face to face with the sobering realities of war on a daily basis. Severe Clear offers an unflinching look at life on the battlefield through the eyes of someone who was there.
- DirectorGeorge LarkinStarsJamila AlinaElisa K. BlandfordSanjay ChandaniTheir words. Our voices. An acclaimed international cast performs stories of life during the war from Iraqi writers in Baghdad. Screened on Link TV, at festivals, six times for Amnesty International, and at universities.
- DirectorBruce Van DusenStarsNasier AbadiKenneth AdgieLloyd AustinIn 2007, the situation in Iraq was desperate and required a new strategy...the Surge. THE SURGE: THE WHOLE STORY is a definitive account from those who were there, including interviews with every senior military officer and official who participated in the Surge
- DirectorFolleh Shar TambaStarsChris BayPiotr BodzionyJoshua BowersA company of reserve Marines tell the story of their tour of duty in Iraq during the 1st national Iraqi election in 2004-05.
- DirectorAron GaudetStarsJoan GaudetWilliam KnightGerald MundyOn call 24/7 for the past six years, three senior citizens have made history by greeting nearly one million U.S. troops at a tiny airport in Maine. Filled with unexpected turns, their uplifting and emotional journey demonstrates the meaning of community at a time when America needs it most.
- DirectorDeborah ScrantonStarsJean-Paul BordaBryan HamlinJeffrey MeierIn June 2007, the Bad Voodoo Platoon deployed to Iraq during the American military surge. To capture an intimate, vivid account of the new realities of war, director Deborah Scranton (The War Tapes) created a "virtual embed" with the platoon, supplying cameras to the soldiers so she could better crawl inside the experience of "boots on the ground." Bad Voodoo's War is the story of of the daily grind, the brotherhood, the fear and fatigue of war, through the eyes of the soldiers.
- CreatorMitchell BlockMaro ChermayeffStarsChris AlticeKevin McLaughlinRandy BrockCARRIER is a character-driven immersion in the high-stakes world of a nuclear aircraft carrier, shot on the USS Nimitz during a six-month deployment to the Persian Gulf. The program follows a core group of participants from the elite fighter pilots to the youngest sailors as they navigate challenges around their jobs, families, faith, patriotism, and the war on terror.
- DirectorPatricia BoikoLaurel Spellman SmithJonathan Santos, 22, documented his 37 days in Iraq on video and in writing; never knowing that day 38 would be his last. From high explosives to clandestine home brew, his video footage and witty narrative combine personal musings on life, death, and the future he imagined but would never see. His charming buddy, Matthew, who barely survived, brings the war home. Through Jonathan's handwritten words and videotape, the film tells a personal and profound story.
- DirectorTerry Sanders"Fighting for Life" follows American military doctors, nurses and medics on the front lines of the Iraq War, young wounded soldiers and marines determined to survive and to heal, and students of USU, the "best medical school no one's ever heard of," on their journey toward becoming career military physicians.
- DirectorTony GerberJesse MossA film about life inside the US Army's Iraq simulation in California's Mojave Desert.
- DirectorMaryanne GalvinStarsNeil AltmanStephen BehnkeGhislaine BoulangerInterrogate This presents a troubling and deeply human story illustrating the complexities encountered when national security, psychology, politics, ethics and morality collide. Most are unaware that mental health professionals and others have been involved in the so-called war-on-terror. These professionals have been at odds with each other and policies limiting their participation in interrogations in national security settings have evolved over the past few years. Weaving intimate interviews, archival footage, animation, innovative visuals and original music, Interrogate This presents an even-handed representation of perspectives from both sides of this thin line in the sand. Thoughtful positions from individuals close to the issues include: * Military psychologists who served at Guantanamo and elsewhere; * A career military intelligence officer; * Lawyers representing detainees and human rights organizations; * Friends and family of one particular detainee; * Psychologists/activists promoting a moratorium on continued involvement in centers where detainees lack human rights; and * Representatives from the worlds largest professional organization for psychologists-the American Psychological Association (APA)
- DirectorBarry J. HersheyStarsTony BlairGeorge W. BushDick CheneyLEADING TO WAR documents how the Bush Administration made its case to the American people for military action in Iraq, despite worldwide opposition.
- DirectorMeg McLaganDaria SommersThe untold story of the first women in U.S. history to be sent into direct ground combat.
- DirectorChantelle SquiresStarsMatt JemmettChris NibleyMark PattersonIn May 2003, Fox Company of Marine Reserve Unit 2/23, returned home from active combat in Iraq. Reserved To Fight follows four Marines of Fox Company through three years of their postwar minefield of social and psychological reintegration into civilian life. The return to their communities proves as formidable a battle as the more literal firefights of previous months. Living among loved ones who don't yet understand them and how they have changed, contending with a media focused on the politics rather than the human experience of war, and suffering from a psychological disorder that is difficult to acknowledge, these young veterans grapple to find purpose and healing.
- DirectorArun RathStarsKhalid Jamal Aiad AhmedAbdul Rahman Al-MashhadaniPeter BerkrotFrontline investigates the Haditha incident in which a group of Marines are accused of murdering 24 men, women and children in Iraq.
- DirectorKristen ThompsonMarshall ThompsonStarsRocky AndersonLarry CannonVickie CastroA soldier returns from Iraq to walk the length of Utah, the reddest state in the nation, in protest of the war. Through his walk, he learns about the proud history of protest and dissent in America.
- DirectorErrol MorrisStarsMegan Ambuhl GranerJaval DavisKen DavisErrol Morris examines the incidents of abuse and torture of suspected terrorists at the hands of U.S. forces at the Abu Ghraib prison.
- DirectorMorgan SpurlockStarsMorgan SpurlockGeorge BushDick CheneyMorgan Spurlock tours the Middle East to discuss the war on terror.
- DirectorPhil ValentineStarsPhil ValentineIt is about the post war plight of the severely wounded.
- DirectorJon AlpertEllen Goosenberg KentStarsJames GandolfiniDawn HalfakerDexter PittsAmerican Soldiers fighting in the Iraq war and their homecomings.
- DirectorPhil DonahueEllen SpiroStarsRobert ByrdGarett ReppenhagenCathy SmithThe story of an injured American veteran returning home from the war Iraq is set against the backdrop of a critical indictment of the government's handling of the U.S.-led invasion.
- A hard hitting ITV series that follows Royal Marines recruits from day one of training, through 32 weeks of the longest and hardest military training in the world and then to the front line in Afghanistan.
- StarsMartin SmithKevonte WilsonDavid FairclothIn News War, FRONTLINE examines political, cultural, legal, and economic forces challenging news media today and how press has reacted in turn.
- DirectorRory KennedyStarsIsrael RiveraMegan Ambuhl GranerJaval DavisAn examination of the prisoner abuse scandal involving U.S. soldiers and detainees at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison in the fall of 2003.
- DirectorJohn LaurenceThis unflinching examination of the war in Iraq follows soldiers from the elite 101st Airborne Division for 14 months, from stateside preparations to their deployment in Iraq and back home again. Throughout, soldiers speak candidly about their experience in the military and demonstrate the powerful bond established as they struggle to stay alive.
- DirectorCivia TamarkinJERABEK is an intimate portrait of one family that confronts the tragedy of war. Ryan Jerabek wanted to get out of Green Bay, Wisconsin, see the world and do something different. Moved by what happened on September 11th, the honor student and varsity athlete joined the Marines and left for boot camp weeks after his high school graduation. Nine months later, he was killed in Iraq. The film chronicles, over two years, the changes in the lives of his family. Beyond politics, headlines and statistics, JERABEK offers a candid, personal look at the toll one death takes.
- DirectorMolly BinghamSteve ConnorsMEETING RESISTANCE is a verité-style non-fiction feature-length film set in the streets, alleyways and ubiquitous teashops of the Adamiyah neighborhood of Baghdad. It enters the physical and psychological heart of the "Insurgency" against the American-led occupation. Photojournalists/directors Steve Connors and Molly Bingham spent ten-months among the insurgents there to create this exclusive, unique, and at once horrifying, compelling and insightful film about their lives, motivation, and goals.
- DirectorSean LanganStarsSean LanganSeven months after the end of the war, acclaimed BBC journalist and filmmaker Sean Langan (Behind the Lines, Travels of a Gringo), armed with just a camera, takes a brave and eventful trip through Iraq, seeking to shed light on the current situation. Langan meets with US troops (and witnesses insurgent attacks first-hand).
- DirectorLawrence BridgesStarsKevin CostnerEdward Parker GyokeresRyan KellyThrough interviews and readings by US troops, their families, and distinguished contemporary American writers, LAWRENCE BRIDGES' MUSE OF FIRE is an exploration of the human, historical and literary value of "Operation Homecoming," a project created by the NEA to help troops and their families write about their wartime experiences.
- DirectorAndy BloodThis is not an anti-military documentary. It's not about interviews with civilian demonstrators and intellectuals. Instead, this is a documentary about why Iraq war vets from across the country, vets who have put their lives on the line, are opposed to this war. This documentary is their story, in their own words.
- DirectorCharles FergusonStarsCampbell ScottGerald BurkeAli FadhilA comprehensive look at the Bush Administration's conduct of the Iraq war and its occupation of the country.
- DirectorCatherine RyanGary WeimbergStarsKevin BendermanJoshua CasteelPeter CoyoteA brave and balanced look at the choice a soldier makes when he finally must pull the trigger.
- DirectorPenny AllenStarsPenny AllenAn American filmmaker living in Paris meets an American serviceman stationed in Iraq returning home on furlough. He shares his photos and movies with her and then tells her, in detail, the things he's seen in war.
- DirectorAlex GibneyStarsAlex GibneyBrian Keith AllenMoazzam BeggAlex Gibney exposes the haunting details of the USA's torture and interrogation practices during the War in Afghanistan.
- DirectorGary MortensenStarsRebekka Mae BrunsRyan HowellVince JacquesThe Story of the Oregon National Guard's deployment to Iraq in 2004/2005.
- DirectorShailly AgnihotriStarsTom BurkaA documentary which takes a revealing look at families left behind after coping with the loss of their loved ones in the shadow of the Army's claim that their deaths were suicides.
- DirectorSteve MetzeDon SwaynosStarsSteve Metze
- DirectorGordon Forbes IIIDuring the summer of 2005, filmmaker Gordon Forbes spent three months embedded with the U.S. Marines 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion during their deployment to the Sunni Triangle in Iraq. He and his team documented the daily grind and struggles of the men in Alpha Company as they fought the War on Terror, thousands of miles away from home. While most networks send a crew to shoot only enough footage for a 90-second highlight piece, this three-part documentary covers several operations - from helicopter raids and mounted patrols to everyday interactions with the people of Iraq.
- DirectorJon AlpertMatthew O'NeillStarsRhonda BarnesTerry BaslerJoshua BelmontWinner of four Emmy(R) Awards, including Outstanding Directing for Nonfiction Programming (Jon Alpert, Matthew O'Neill)! The 86th Combat Support Hospital (CSH)--the U.S. Army's premier medical facility in Iraq and formerly one of Saddam Hussein's elite hospitals--is the setting for this unforgettable documentary that puts a human face on the war's cold casualty statistics. Directed by Emmy(R)-winner Jon Alpert (HBO's 'One Year in a Life of Crime'), the film profiles the doctors and nurses at the 86th who fight to save wounded soldiers who are Medevaced (helicoptered) in on a numbingly routine basis. In addition to capturing the drama of victims and caregivers in the ER, the film provides vivid frontline rescue footage with the 54th Medical Company Air Ambulance Team along with tension-filled scenes of soldiers patrolling what is considered the most dangerous road in the world: the five-mile highway from the Baghdad Airport to the CSH.
- DirectorMichael EpsteinStarsGreg CandelarioA documentary chronicling Lima Company 3rd Battalion 25th Marines from Columbus Ohio and their deployment to Iraq.
- DirectorPatricia FoulkrodStarsHerold Noel Jr.Robert AcostaSean HuzeThis powerful film shows how the Iraq War's ground conflicts are only a prelude to the challenging and grueling battles heroic veterans face when they return home from duty.
- DirectorRichard HankinStarsJeremy FeldbuschCharlene FeldbuschBrace FeldbuschFor a wounded American soldier returning home from Iraq, the conflict has just begun. "Home Front" captures the human story of what happens when Sergeant Jeremy Feldbusch returns to civilian life in his small hometown, as he readjusts to family, community --and most importantly, his new, altered self. On another level, the film is also about Jeremy's family, and how they cope with events that have forever changed them. By turns heartbreaking and inspiring, "Home Front" gets behind the often-sanitized myth of war to reveal its true complications and costs.
- DirectorTonje Hessen ScheiStarsMazen Al-TumeiziTareq AyyoubTracy BarryArguing for the need of an independent media, Tonje Hessen Schei examines the US media's covering of the war in Iraqi.
- DirectorTom RobertsIn recent decades, more than 10,000 children reportedly were sexually abused by Catholic priests in United States.
- DirectorRobert GreenwaldStarsKaty Helvenston-WettengalScott HelvenstonDonna ZovkoRobert Greenwald looks at war profiteering in Iraq by private contracting companies Halliburton, CACI, and KBR.
- DirectorJames LongleyStarsMarmar AlhilaliMohammed HaithemSuleiman MahmoudStories from modern day Iraq as told by Iraqis living in a time of war, occupation and ethnic tension.
- DirectorDavid B. EdwardsGregory WhitmoreMaliha ZulfacarIn the broken cityscape of Kabul, Afghanistan, amid the dust and rubble of war, Westerners and Afghans adjust to the uncertain possibilities of peace. "Kabul Transit" shuttles through the broken streets of the city, moving between public space and private, listening in on conversations, posing questions, probing the darker alleys mainstream media avoids. The result is a unique cinematic experience-- a shifting mosaic of encounters and raconteurs, captured glances and telling gestures, all beautifully shot and woven together by the music and the found sounds of a city sluggishly coming to life. Rejecting the usual device of narration and portraiture, the film asks the viewer to experience Kabul as a newly arrived visitor would-- with a freshness born of apprehension on finding oneself in a place that is at once hauntingly strange and altogether familiar.
- DirectorMichael KirkStarsWill LymanAfter a quarter-century of political denial and social stigma, of stunning scientific breakthroughs, bitter policy battles and inadequate prevention campaigns, HIV/AIDS continues to spread rapidly.
- 20061h 28m6.7 (17)VideoDirectorValerian BennettJonathan HaugStarsThe United States Marine Corps"Make Peace or Die: The First Days of War in Iraq with 1 Battalion 5 Marines" is a boots-on-the-ground account of the treacherous three-week journey from the oilfields of Kuwait to Saddam Hussein's palace in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom with one of the most decorated units in the U.S. military. Footage from embedded reporters, Department of Defense archives, digital images from individual Marines, and interviews conducted by a former member of 1/5 in the summer of 2003 provide a rare glimpse into the souls of America's warriors. From their first full-scale battle at Saddam Canal to dealing with the fog of war at a roadblock on the streets of Baghdad, we witness in these men the essence of conflict, both personal and professional, as seen through the ages. The film serves as both an intensely personal oral history and a chilling snapshot of events that would give way to the future in Iraq.
- DirectorAngeliki GiannakopoulosStarsMarie BonillaMaggie BrownGloria Caldas"I don't want my son killed there. So in keeping himself safe, he will have to kill someone else, but the person that he's killing is a son or daughter and they have a mom and that mom loves their child as much as I love mine. I don't want to bury my son. But for my son to be safe, someone else has to die." -Virginia Morton, Antioch, CA My Child: Mothers of War is a documentary about he mothers who send their children to fight in Iraq.
- DirectorLaura PoitrasStarsDr. RiyadhAaron CastleScott Farren-PriceThe director follows a Sunni doctor as he prepares to run for the early 2005 elections in Iraq.
- DirectorUsama AlshaibiFilmmaker Usama Alshaibi returns to Baghdad to reunite with his family after nearly 24 years. This documentary navigates his unique relationship to an Iraq that is very different from the country of his childhood. Usama captures the conflicting reactions to the conditions of life in Baghdad. Through a wide range of opinions and experiences he provides a broad panorama of voices long neglected under Saddam's regime. His cousin Tareef enters the room upon hearing an explosion. "It's a bomb. A Nice Bomb," he explains. The phrase is indicative of his family's nonchalance about their situation. As one young boy put it, "We're Iraqis. It's normal." With humor and resilience Nice Bombs explores Usama's dual role as both Iraqi and American. This Director's Cut of "Nice Bombs" was completed by director Usama Alshaibi 10 years after his trip to his home country. It contains more interviews with Iraqi women and a broader, more detailed view of life in Iraq.
- DirectorPhilippe BorrelStarsDarrell AndersonAmy GoodmanDennis KucinichSilent America Not in our name is the rallying cry for thousands of Americans who continue to oppose the war in Iraq. After a difficult beginning, the peace movement grows every day. The film Not In Our Name charts the struggle of these concerned citizens to make their voices heard. Now, their voices are at last being heard. A radical and opportune appeal for citizens to act. This tight and well-researched documentary provides a stimulating encounter with the very diverse representatives of Americas anti-war movement, who, for three years, have been protesting the Bush administrations policies, as well as the obsequiousness of the media and the attacks on civil rights orchestrated by neo-conservative forces and their Patriot Act. Whether they be from artistic, intellectual or political circles, parents of troops in Iraq, deserters or veterans, devout or secular activists, these voices that America didnt want to hear are gradually breaking through the silence and indifference of the majority of the middle-classes. They speak out to demand the immediate withdrawal of American troops from Iraq, in the name of the over 4,000 who have died and 30,000 wounded, while pointing out that there is no official count of Iraqi casualties. From the East Coast to California, and in Canada where some deserters have recently obtained political asylum, Philippe Borrel interviewed around fifteen activists, celebrities and unknowns alike. He spoke to actor Tim Robbins, journalists Peter Arnett and Amy Goodman, who hosts the pioneering Democracy Now! program, Professor Howard Zinn, Cindy Sheehan, the mother of a young soldier killed in Iraq, Democrat Congressman Dennis Kucinich, slammer Saul Williams, Larry Siverson, father of three soldiers, Patrick Resta, a young Iraq veteran, deserter Darell Anderson, young Baptist pastor Jamie Washam and the St. Patricks Four, early anti-war activists who were charged with conspiracy against the state and acquitted. With archive footage of increasingly large anti-war protest marches, their total commitment, in the name of the ideas and values that made America, can finally be heard. This film is a journey through the anti-war movement in America. It does not set out to judge the rights and wrongs of the war in Iraq. It explores the state of opposition to the war in America today. Our starting point is the simple fact that the war has divided America, perhaps irrevocably. Can a democracy function on the basis of "you're either with us or against us"? After 9/11, a climate of fear settled over America. Not just fear of terrorist attacks, but fear to speak out to the nation or within one's community, fear to engage in informed discussion, fear to have an opinion that opposes or contradicts administration policies and the mass media's representation of the facts. There are courageous people at every level of American society who are attempting to turn the tide, to ensure that a democratic tradition stretching back 250 years is not washed away by a wave of patriotic fervor. People like Cindy Sherman, whose son was killed in action in Iraq and who set up camp outside President Bush's ranch in Crawford, Texas. People like Peter Arnett, who was fired from NBC for giving an interview to Iraqi TV. People like Darell Anderson, decorated with the purple heart during his tour of duty in Iraq and now seeking political asylum in Canada. People like Tim Robbins "Not In Our Name" takes the temperature of American democracy, which has suffered many blows but is not yet out for the count .
- DirectorPetra EpperleinMichael TuckerStarsYunis Khatayer AbbasA freedom-loving Iraqi journalist is mistaken as Tony Blair's would-be assassin and sent to Abu Ghraib Prison where he discovers the true meaning of liberation.