Executive produced by Wim Wenders and Errol Morris, filmmaker Sonia Kennebeck's PBS-aired Independent Lens documentary looks at the human toll of America's drone war in Afghanistan. Touted by the Obama administration as a legal, precise way of killing insurgents—with minimal impact on U.S. and allied forces—the use of weaponized drones (according to this film) in fact inflicts death and destruction on countless innocents. What's more, the responsibility for analyzing potential targets and firing missiles from drones—at times killing entire crowds of civilians—falls to young adults (ages 18 to 24) operating the weapons remotely, via satellite. Most of the documentary focuses on three veterans whose experiences in making life-and-death decisions about who and what to target has caused them deep psychological and emotional damage. Tormented by guilt, each of the vets seeks some form of redemption. Heather, a massage therapist, talks and writes about the horror of killing so many people, noting the appalling indifference to collateral damage. Daniel, who transitioned from the military to the defense industry, reveals more than he should about drone strikes and ends up being investigated by the FBI. And Karen, who is also burdened by her past in drone warfare, travels annually to Afghanistan to help with charity work. Kennebeck also interweaves archival news material to provide context for how American citizens have been sold on this flawed, bloody approach to modern warfare. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)
National Bird
(2016) 92 min. DVD: $95: public libraries; $295 w/PPR: colleges & universities. DRA. Ro*co Films Educational. Closed captioned. Volume 32, Issue 5
National Bird
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