I had an opportunity to screen the documentary Restrepo, which is getting a lot of media attention.  The film follows a platoon during the 15 months it is stationed in the deadliest valley in Afghanistan.  It’s scheduled to open August 6 in Charlotte, but I’m not certain about a release date for the Triad, so keep an eye out.

I think this is an important film.  The title comes from the name of a medic in the platoon who is killed shortly after their tour begins, and Restrepo the film conveys the simultaneous tedium and tension of life at war and also demonstrates the complete cultural disconnect between US soldiers and the Afghans living in the area.

I must say I thought it was a little thin on character development.  The two filmmakers, Tim Heatherington and Sebastian Junger spent a total of ten months sometimes separately and other times together with the troops then conducted interviews with them after they completed the tour.  The interviews do help add context, so that was a good choice.  The whole enterprise, as presented by the filmmakers, seems futile.

History suggests the same.