- Restrepo (film)
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Restrepo
Film posterDirected by Produced by - Tim Hetherington
- Sebastian Junger
Cinematography - Tim Hetherington
- Sebastian Junger
Editing by Michael Levine Distributed by Release date(s) January 21, 2010(Sundance)
June 25, 2010[1] (United States)Running time 93 minutes Country United States Language English Box office $1,422,910[2] Restrepo is a 2010 documentary film about the Afghanistan war, directed by American journalist Sebastian Junger and British/American photojournalist Tim Hetherington.
The film explores the year that Junger and Hetherington spent in Afghanistan on assignment for Vanity Fair,[3] embedded with the Second Platoon, B Company, 2nd Battalion, 503rd Infantry Regiment (airborne), 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team of the U.S. Army in the Korengal valley. The 2nd Platoon is depicted defending an Observation Post (OP) named OP Restrepo, for PFC Juan Sebastián Restrepo, a Colombian-born naturalized U.S. citizen platoon medic who was killed earlier in the campaign.[4]
Contents
Story
The film follows the 2nd Platoon of Bravo Company on a 15-month deployment in the Korengal Valley of northeast Afghanistan. It chronicles the lives of the men from their deployment to the time of their return home. The Korengal Valley was at the time regarded as "the deadliest place on Earth" (as stated in the documentary itself, trailers, and television commercials on the National Geographic Channel). The goal of the deployment was to clear the Korengal Valley of insurgency and gain the trust of the local populace.
They begin their deployment at OP Korengal, and early in the campaign PFC Restrepo is killed, as well as another team member, PFC Vimoto. The film portrays negotiations with the local people, construction of an advanced outpost, OP Restrepo, as well as the challenges and intermittent firefights they face.
In the latter portion of the film, the dangerous mission Operation Rock Avalanche is shown along with some of its tragic consequences, such as dead civilians and soldiers, as well as the emotional distress that the soldiers are left with in its aftermath.
Reception
The film received the Grand Jury Prize for best documentary at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.[5] It received a certified fresh rating of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert awarded Restrepo four out of four stars.[6]. Additionally, numerous critics and publications included it in their annual top film selections.[7][8][9]
It was named as one of the top documentary films of 2010 by the National Board of Review.
It was nominated for the 2011 Academy Award for Best Documentary,[10] which was won by "Inside Job".
See also
- The Battle for Marjah, an HBO documentary covering the efforts of Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, in Operation Moshtarak.
- Armadillo, a 2010 Danish documentary about Danish troops stationed at "Armadillo" forward operating base in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.
- 16 Days in Afghanistan, a highly referenced 2008 documentary about the country.
References
- ^ "Restrepo – Theatrical Release". International Documentary Association. http://www.documentary.org/calendar/restrepo-theatrical-release-june-25-2010-various-cities. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
- ^ "Restrepo (2010)". Box Office Mojo. http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=restrepo.htm. Retrieved 1 December 2010.
- ^ Into the Valley of Death, Sebastian Junger, Vanity Fair, January 2008 article, discusses the strategic value of the Korangal valley.
- ^ An up-close yet impersonal look at war, Wesley Morris, Boston Globe movie review.
- ^ Addicott, Brooks (January 30, 2010). "2010 Sundance Film Festival Announces Awards". Sundance Institute. http://www.sundance.org/press-center/release/2010_sundance_film_festival_announces_awards/. Retrieved 30 November 2010.
- ^ Restrepo review, Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times.
- ^ News Desk: The Best (and Worst) Films of the Year : The New Yorker
- ^ 2010 in review: Betsy Sharkey on film - latimes.com
- ^ PartB Film Awards 2011 – The Beaver
- ^ Record | Columbia News
External links
- Official website
- UK Website
- Restrepo at the Internet Movie Database
- Restrepo at AllRovi
- Restrepo at Rotten Tomatoes
- Restrepo at Metacritic
- Restrepo at DVD Resurrections
- GRITtv Interview With Laura Flanders and Tim Hetherington on "Restrepo"
- NY Times article
- OP Restrepo on Google Maps
Awards Preceded by
We Live in PublicSundance Grand Jury Prize: Documentary
2010Succeeded by
How to Die in OregonCategories:- 2010 films
- American films
- English-language films
- Sundance Film Festival award winners
- American documentary films
- Documentary films about the War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
- Documentary films about war
- Kunar Province
- 2010s documentary films
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.