The War Tapes

On Wednesday, June 28, 2006 I attended the movie screening for "The War Tapes." This event was held at Landmark E Street Cinema at 555 11th Street, NW. The movie screening started at 7:00pm. The Center for American Progress along with SenArt Films and Scranton/Lace Films held the movie screening. The event was filled with both interns and people from the community and the business district of Washington, DC.

In March 2004, just as the insurgent movement strengthened, several members of one National Guard unit arrived in Iraq, carrying digital video cameras. "The War Tapes" follows three men: Sergeant Steve Pink, Sergeant Zack Bazzi, and Specialist Mike Moriarty. Steve is a young carpenter with a dark, irreverent sense of humor who joined the Guard for college money. Zack is an inquisitive, ironic traveler and university student. Mike is a husband and father of two, driven to fight by honor and redemption. You will see Operation Iraqi Freedom through their eyes.

The soldiers were not picked by casting agents or movie producers. They selected themselves. 10 soldiers from Charlie Company carried cameras on IED-riddled roads and into combat—and into their own internal conversations. They learned how to choose and tell their stories in constant instant message conversations with Director Scranton. They filmed under unbelievable conditions. The unit was based at LSA Anaconda in the deadly Sunni Triangle, under constant threat of ambush and IED attacks. They traveled, as a unit, 1.4 million miles during their tour, and lived through over 1,200 combat operations and 250 direct enemy engagements. Because it’s filmed by citizen soldiers telling their own stories, "The War Tapes" is funnier, spicier, and more wrenching than stories other people might tell about them.

Following the movie screening the Center for American Progress held a panel. The featured panelists: P.J. Crowley, Senior Fellow, Director of National Defense and Homeland Security, Center for American Progress; Steve James, Editor/Producer, The War Tapes Staff; Sergeant Zack Bazzi, New Hampshire Army National Guard; Sergeant Patrick Campbell, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America; and moderated by: Melody Barnes, Executive Vice President for Policy, Center for American Progress. The moderator spoke briefly about the panelists and their background. The moderator then asked the panelist various questions. Upon asking three or four questions, the moderator opened the floor to questions and the audience asked between five or six questions. I had the chance to meet the panelists at the end of the panel discussion.

The movie screening ended around 10:00pm. The movie was very moving and shows how the United States was fighting the war in Iraq. I was surprised to see how the United States was behaving in a war with people who were disadvantaged. The movie was events that actually occurred in Iraq. I enjoyed the movie screening and it opened my eyes to certain issues that I was oblivious to.