Occupation: Dreamland

A documentary about American soldiers on duty in Iraq, co-directors Ian Olds and Garrett Scott's  Occupation: Dreamland will inevitably be compared with Gunner Palace (VL-7/05), but while the two films have much in common—looking at GIs policing Iraq during the occupation—they're sufficiently distinctive. Occupation: Dreamland follows a unit in the 82nd Airborne Division during a stint in Fallujah in early 2004 (the timeframe predates the arrival of the Marines in the city, the ambush and murder of several civilian contractors, and the uprising that later led to a major U.S. offensive). The film observes the men as they discuss the Bush administration and the war—voicing their opinions directly to the camera—and accompanies the soldiers on their rounds, both day and night (in the latter case, special lenses allow us to see the terrified, hostile eyes of those whose homes are invaded in search of weapons or insurgents). Other sequences capture less confrontational contacts between the troops and locals, with Iraqis often expressing anger at the lack of security and their treatment at the hands of Americans. And in an episode likely to draw gasps from most viewers, we watch as army recruiters try to persuade soldiers coming to the end of their tours to reenlist—employing harangues that emphasize the ways in which combat has psychologically affected them and underscore their generally meager prospects back home. Sober and reflective rather than polemical, this is recommended. (F. Swietek)