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Review #182 of 365
Film: Gitmo [NR] 79 minutes
WIP™ Scale: $11
Where Viewed: Starz FilmCenter Denver, CO
When 1st Seen: 11 July 2006
Time: 8:10 p.m.
Click for 'Review Lite' [a 150-word review of this film]
What could two Swedish documentary filmmakers bring to the table in an investigation into allegations of abuse of human rights at Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that 1000 visiting journalists could not? That is the central question one has to ask oneself upon viewing Erik Gandini's and Tarik Saleh's independent documentary film Gitmo. Their premise is to investigate the story of a Swedish citizen dubbed Medhi who was classified by the U.S. Government as an enemy combatant after 11 September 2001 and held at Camp Delta without ever being charged formally for more than two years. The U.S. government's official position is that he likely would have been there far less time had he not refused to talk at all. In Gandini's and Saleh's investigation, they uncover such things as the on-base golf course, baseball fields, and McDonald's restaurant built to improve the morale of the troops stationed on the island. They uncover what they portray to be the 'suspicious' demotions or firings of two high-ranking military officers: one in a prominent position at Camp Delta and the other, a woman in charge of the Military Police at the Iraqi prison now made infamous twice over for its reputation as a center for torture under deposed Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and then by photos released to the world press of American Soldiers abusing prisoners, Abu Ghraib. They interview as many people on the base including the base's chief Commander General Miller as they were allowed to. They also interviewed a few former detainees including Medhi who is most non-responsive to their questions or seems to respond as if being led to the conclusions that will make for the most controversy.
"…a film that raises many more questions than it answers…"
They work tirelessly to connect the practices they allege were developed at Camp Delta to those used in Iraqi prisons. In the end, they are only so successful in painting a very cloudy picture based on a lot of hearsay and inferences that might or might not be factually accurate. Of course, they are never given actual access to the areas were the prisoners are held, shown their actual quarters, allowed to observe an interrogation, so they have only their powers of inductive reasoning and the statements of people held within the camp and then released to rely upon in constructing their picture. The result is a film that raises many more questions than it answers, which can be the point of a documentary that attempts to heighten the awareness and raise the consciousness of people to a particular issue. The film itself utilizes fairly good production values that yields a film that looks very good and very professional. There are a few camera shakes for authenticity and some tourist shots. All tolled, though, the film is informative and easy to watch and follow. This is an important documentary from the standpoint of reminding all USA citizen to work to ensure that our government strives to uphold the world-wide reputation of our values of peace, liberty, and freedom upon which our nation was founded. I was reminded in thinking about this film of a statement I think most USAers learn as children, "Do unto others as you would have them do to you". Probably, it would behoove us all to stop and think about the incredible humanity behind this statement and how much more important it becomes when you are part of the perceived beacon of democracy and justice in the world.
Review-lite [150-word cap]
What could two Swedish documentary filmmakers, Erik Gandini and Tarik Saleh, bring to the table in an investigation into allegations of abuse of human rights at Camp Delta, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, that 1000 visiting journalists could not? They uncover such things as the on-base McDonald's restaurant built to improve the morale of the troops stationed on the island, 'suspicious' demotions of a high-ranking military officer in a prominent position at Camp Delta just before released detainees begin to allege human rights abuses, and various other pieces of hearsay evidence all of which leads to a very cloudy picture of what might or might not be factually accurate and a film that raises many more questions than it answers. This documentary is important as it behooves all USAers to ensure our government upholds our values of peace, liberty, and freedom. "Do unto others as you would have them do to you".
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