The documentary restrepo is an unsparing, upclose look at the life of. In korengal, a sequel to the documentary restrepo, american soldiers. The first documentary begins on a train in italy with an enthusiastic restrepo excited to go to afghanistan. May 30, 2014 in korengal, a sequel to the documentary restrepo, american soldiers contemplate their past battle experiences in a valley in afghanistan. Aug 20, 2010 not only does it do restrepo proud, but it does his fellow soldiers proud and all service members, for that matter as it brings home the fog of war more powerfully than any other movie in. Gives a pretty realistic inside look at an aircraft carrier, the uss nimitz, during a 6 month deployment to the persian gulf during the current gulf war. The movie focuses on a remote 15man outpost, restrepo, named after. It can be recognized by admiration, brotherhood, and a profound sense of duty. Neither hetherington nor junger had worked in movies prior to restrepo, yet their efforts are as rousingly cinematic as any action movie from 2010. Restrepo is a 2010 american documentary film about the afghanistan war, directed by. It is during one of these gunfights that one of the soldiers is mortally wounded, his name was restrepo and the rest of the soldiers decide to build a resistance camp named o.
Sebastian junger on korengal the documentary filmmaker revisits the world of his oscarnominated movie restrepo for a look at the soldiers p. Restrepo is clearly a movie focused on the americans fear and suffering, rather than the afghans, leaving the judgment up to us. Winner of the 2010 sundance film festival grand jury prize for a documentary, restrepo chronicles the deployment of a u. Army soldiers involved in combat and goodwill related operations in the korengal valley, afghanistan during a 26 month period from february 18, 2008 to april, 2010. The soldiers are ferried in by chinook and begin their deployment at combat outpost op korengal, or kop, and early in the campaign pfc juan. In 2010, junger and hetherington released restrepo, an oscarnominated film that chronicled the soldiers lives under fire in the area considered to be.
And yet, simply by bearing witness, the movie is a. Having already won the grand jury prize for documentary at the sundance film festival this year, in addition to a host of other accolades, the film is. One of the special features is called soldiers sleeping and is a series of photos hetherington shot of the soldiers sound asleep, superimposed on which were the images and sounds of active warfare when they had been awakestrangely moving. To get a better grip on the valley, captain kearney orders his men to capture a nearby mountaintop, and there erect a new outpost, which they call restrepo in honor of their dead fellow. Jun 25, 2010 with no barriers between them and the press, the two journalists were able to get to know the soldiers they were bunking with, all who lived at an outpost called restrepo, named after a beloved. Jun 30, 2010 afghanistan is a word on the news, debated in terms of our foreign policy. Feb 04, 2010 restrepo is a featurelength documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of u.
Unintended star of restrepo returns to afghanistan stripes. Crucially, the pair had no axe to grind, no thesis to advance, and no political agenda they simply aimed to document soldiers lives in a war zone, providing moviegoers with an immersive. Korengal is a 2014 documentary that picks up where the film restrepo left off, taking the viewer deeper into soldiers experiences of war in the korengal valley of afghanistan. The film received a certified fresh rating of 96% on rotten tomatoes.
If you like restrepo you might like similar movies armadillo, korengal, 180 degrees south. If any restrepo viewers were curious about how soldiers. The movie focuses on a remote 15man outpost, restrepo. Rating is available when the video has been rented. The film consists of closeup interviews with soldiers in a platoon stationed at outpost restrepo, during and after their deployment. His life and death, and the lives of his fellow soldiers as they carry on at op restrepo, are chronicled in the awardwinning documentary restrepo, by sebastian junger and tim hetherington, and its sequel, korengal. Restrepo received the grand jury prize for best documentary at the 2010 sundance film festival.
How boring is a soldiers life in the mountains of afghanistan during the lulls between firefights. Restrepo soldiers reflect on surviving afghan outpost. They were in the korangal valley, described on cnn as the most dangerous place in the world. A featurelength documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of u. Nobody thinks about foreign policy in restrepo, a documentary shot during the 15 months an american company fought there under almost daily fire. Combat diary iraq full movie modern war documentary 2018. Afghanistan is a word on the news, debated in terms of our foreign policy. It was considered one of the most dangerous postings in the u. Jul 12, 2010 a few months ago, i received a phone call from santana rudy rueda, one of the soldiers from second platoon, battle company, 173 rd airborne.
Restrepo is a documentary about american soldiers fighting in the korengal valley of afghanistan, which we are told and have to believe is perhaps the most dangerous place on earth. Forsaking narrative structure for pure visceral power, restrepo plunges viewers into the experiences of soldiers on the front lines of the afghan war. A soldiers eye view from afghanistan restrepo chronicles the deployment of 15 soldiers into afghanistans korengal valley, considered one. Restrepo, a documentary that sticks close to a company of american soldiers during a grueling 14month tour of duty in an especially dangerous part of afghanistan, is an impressive, even. The film shows the dedication to their duty as a soldier and their commitment to one another as brothers. It wasnt as powerful or as warlike as i expected it to be, but that put aside, i felt. Jul 09, 2014 in 2010, junger and hetherington released restrepo, an oscarnominated film that chronicled the soldiers lives under fire in the area considered to be among the most dangerous in afghanistan.
In korengal, a sequel to the documentary restrepo, american soldiers contemplate their past battle experiences in a valley in afghanistan. No one in restrepo analyzes the war in afghanistan in political terms or even describes it in terms of goals larger than the daytoday mission. Misha pemblebelkin, left, and fellow soldiers from battle company, 173rd airborne brigade are shown here during a firefight at nowdefunct outpost restrepo in afghanistans korengal valley. Restrepo outpost afghanistan the beginning of the movie. Restrepo is a featurelength documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of u. Later, smoking and joking, halfnaked tattooed soldiers casually fire rounds of ammo into a dry afghan valley. I was supposed to join him at a film festival in missouri for a screening of the film restrepo, but had not been able to make it there because of a snowstorm in new york. Sebastian junger and tim hetheringtons year dug in with the second platoon in one of afghanistans most strategically crucial valleys reveals extraordinary insight into the surreal combination of. Soon the first young soldier, vimoto, is killed, and one month later doc restrepo. To make their bracingly visceral documentary restrepo, winner of the grand jury prize at the 2010 sundance film festival, awardwinning journalists tim hetherington liberia. The film is narrated by several men who fought with pfc juan s.
Nov 22, 2010 sebastian junger and tim hetheringtons year dug in with the second platoon in one of afghanistans most strategically crucial valleys reveals extraordinary insight into the surreal combination of. The movie focuses on 15 soldiers based at outpost restrepo, named after a platoon medic killed early in the deployment. Restrepo is a visceral, powerful documentary on the war in afghanistan, but i found it to be way overhyped. Jun 25, 2010 restrepo, a documentary that sticks close to a company of american soldiers during a grueling 14month tour of duty in an especially dangerous part of afghanistan, is an impressive, even. I give this film an a, and korengal should simply be thought of as restrepopart 2.
Above everything that this gritty combat documentary throws at us, i took away the principle emotion of love. Jul 12, 2010 we called the film restrepo named after the platoon medic who was killed early on in the deployment and the outpost that the men built and named in his honor. The movie focuses on a remote 15man outpost, restrepo, named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. What is courage korengal breaks down war in afghanistan the documentary follows up on sebastian jungers oscarnominated film restrepo. We know that many of you experienced the documentary restrepo at afi silverdocs and other special screenings. Sebastian junger and tim hetherington are the filmmakers. There is, of course, some overlap between the two films, leading to a sense, at times, that korengal is a makingof movie.
With no barriers between them and the press, the two journalists were able to get to know the soldiers they were bunking with, all who lived at an outpost called restrepo, named after a beloved. The soldiers name their outpost for juan restrepo, a platoon medic killed in battle, and their mission entails securing the area for the building of a major road. Junger is an adventurous reporter, and hetherington, an experienced warzone photographer. But we also felt that the name restrepo signified the idea of every soldier and the loss that every soldier endures. If restrepo isnt the most visceral war film weve ever seen, its at least the most visceral movie about the war in afghanistan that weve yet seen, and the most insightful documentary on the 21stcentury soldiers experience since the war tapes which, along with the disappointing gunnar palace, comprise the few films that actually feature. Restrepo changed the entire mood of the soldiers and they were ready to have their revenge. Filmed by author sebastian junger war and awardwinning photographer tim hetherington, restrepo takes viewers on their own 90minute deployment, without comment or agenda. In restrepo, i was reminded how soldiers become like family. Hetherington also won world press photo of the year 2007 for an image of one of the soldiers resting at restrepo, an outpost named after medic juan restrepo, one of their first casualties upon arriving at this dangerous place of daily combat, afghanistans korangal valley. In afghanistan, loving life, making war the new york times.
The soldiers felt it was a good day when they could actually see an enemy and target him. Soldiers in korengal valley, afghanistan 2008 2010. After watching restrepo on netflix, carrier was a documentary they recommended. The men discuss loss such as dead civilians and soldiers, as well as the emotional distress that the soldiers are left with in its aftermath. The talibans are all around them, constantly shooting at them. The movies title comes from private first class juan doc restrepo, whose memory is also honored in the companys isolated base camp, op restrepo. Comments are turned off autoplay when autoplay is enabled, a suggested video will automatically play next. Jul 02, 2010 the soldiers name their outpost for juan restrepo, a platoon medic killed in battle, and their mission entails securing the area for the building of a major road.