“Ghosts of Abu Ghraib” on US theatrical release
January 23rd, 2007 by Zsofia
Sundance documentary “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib” will be given a limited theatrical release in the US, before its airing on HBO in February. The film features interviews with members of military intelligence, military police, as well as prison inmates on the legal and moral implications of torture. It was directed by Rory Kennedy (see photo) whose earlier, award-winning films have explored poverty, drug addiction, the AIDS pandemic, and domestic violence.
Here is what she said in an Indiewire interview:
“The greatest risk in making “Ghosts of Abu Ghraib” was not one that I took personally, but taken by the people I interviewed, particularly the Iraqi detainees who were wrongfully imprisoned at Abu Ghraib. As the situation on the ground was too dangerous, the six prisoners interviewed could not be filmed in Iraq. Their stories, however, were too important to go unheard and they seemed to know this. As an alternative, we arranged for them to fly to Jordan, but they were stopped at the Baghdad Airport and turned back.”
“Still, unwilling to give up, we next arranged for them to fly to Turkey and, after overcoming a number of diplomatic obstacles, were able to get them into the country. Given all that already had been done to these men, months of imprisonment and torture, I felt they were incredibly brave to speak out on camera. Mostly, they feared an American retaliation if their identities were revealed; arguably, they were risking their lives. And yet, despite all this, they were willing to trust me, an American filmmaker.”
Read the full interview on Indiewire
The film is screening this week at Sundance’s Independent Film Competition. Rory Kennedy has been nominated for an Independent Spirit Award and a non-fiction Primetime Emmy Award.
