Ever since the war in Iraq began, a parade of documentaries and fictional films from directors both amateur and legendary has sought to examine the greater effects of the war beyond the politicking and combat typically singled out by the American media. From ground-zero testimonials like “Gunner Palace” to searing indictments like “Uncovered: The War in Iraq,” the response from filmmakers has alternatively been somber and polemical, an attempt to find answers where perhaps there are none to be had.
Tonight at 8 p.m. in Angell Hall Auditorium B, one of the most acclaimed of this stock will offer a divergent perspective on the war as part of the program “Iraq: Soldiers Saying No to War” presented by Michigan Peaceworks. The documentary “The Ground Truth,” a hit at Sundance this year, follows a group of soldiers from the early stages of recruitment to their return home from combat, offering a bird’s-eye view of the war’s cost on those who are fighting it. Although its political edge is never in question, the documentary offers a view overlooked by many in this season of political campaigning and growing public disillusionment with the war: the men and women who have already been part of it, and the broader picture veterans face once they return home.
After the screening, Bob Watada, whose son, an Army lieutenant, is currently awaiting court martial in Washington after refusing to deploy to Iraq, will give a talk about his son’s case.
Following an election that has sparked the most serious discussions of change in Iraq since the U.S.-led invasion, this timely event will challenge attendees to imagine what can be done now and especially what might come next for soldiers affected by the war.
Iraq: Soldiers Saying No to War
Tonight at 8 p.m.
At Angell Hall Auditorium B
Free