Mauritania native Mohamedou Ould Slahi, incarcerated at the Guantánamo Bay jail from 2002 to 2016, recounts his experiences in Guantánamo Diary Revisited. The well-paced documentary, which has a great score by Daniel Regenberg, is about Slahi and Goetz's attempts to get in touch with his former abductors, including the scary-sounding "Mr. X," who terrified Slahi more than the other abductors.
The film goes in a very different direction than you might expect. As Goetz talks to Slahi's captors, they tell him what they think. Even though there was never enough evidence to convict him, many people still believe that Slahi was directly involved in recruiting some of the al-Qaida terrorists who caused the terrible events of September 11, 2001.
On the surface, Slahi seems friendly and nice, but even Goetz finds him mysterious. Some of Slahi's captors think this is the key to how he uses people or changes the past to back up his claims. Slahi and his former captors have been deeply affected by what they went through. Some of his captors are more willing than others to talk to or make peace with himㅡeven if it's just through a computer screen.
A few of them, however, are not interested in any of that and choose to avoid him by any means. From their point of view, Slahi is a criminal at war. Guantanamo Diary Revisited has a lot of power and suspense because it is unclear what is going on. This sobering movie brings up the past and forces its characters and viewers to think about how they feel and what they think.
In one memorable exchange, a former CIA agent said that Goetz and the filmmakers were on Slahi's side because they saw him as a helpless victim while criticizing and shaming what they did. There is some truth to this claim. Was Slahi a willing or even unintentional al-Qaida partner? Did his captors use too much force to "persuade" him, or were they doing what they were told? Is it possible that both sides have some good and some bad points?
This documentary is not just about how people see things; it's also about when and where these things happen. The world changed overnight, so it shouldn't be surprising that there are victims on both sides, no matter how close or far apart they are.
What film collection would this film be suitable for?
Guantanamo Diary Revisited is a compelling documentary that also gives a lot to think and talk about. It is a fitting addition to both public library and academic film collections dealing with wars, prisoners, terrorism, and the effects of all these on those involved.