Luke Murphy:
Mario Terenas:
Michael Steele:
Brian Little:
Darnell (Doc) Herd:
I Am an American Soldier: One Year in Iraq with the 101st Airborne
Information:
[IAMAN] | 2007 | 100 min | Feature Documentary
(I Am an American Soldier: One Year in Iraq with the 101st Airborne)U.K.
World Premiere
Interests: Documentary, Middle Eastern, New York, Politics, War
Official Website
Cast & Credits
Synopsis
An unflinching examination of the war in Iraq, I Am an American Soldier follows members of the elite 101st Airborne Division for 14 months, from their stateside preparations to the streets of Samarra and back home to Fort Campbell. This all-access documentary shows how brave young soldiers risk their lives and limbs in defense of their country. Members of an elite paratrooper unit called "Rakkasan" (coined by the Japanese during WWII, meaning "those that fall from the sky"), these soldiers are an incredibly close-knit group with a reputation as one of the military's most aggressive fighting units. Nevertheless, we witness how difficult it is for these young soldiers to leave their families and begin to understand what it's like for the loved ones they leave behind. After a brief training period in Kuwait, they land in Iraq, in the heart of the insurgency. The intensity of their assignment is immediately brought to the forefront as we go with them on dangerous night raids and daylight street patrols, trying to win the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people. Throughout, soldiers speak candidly about their shattering experiences, from civilian casualties to losing a leg to a roadside bomb. Some express frustration at having to extend their tour of duty, while others are career military men determined to succeed. Chock full of first-person testimonials about the experiences they must endure, this is a powerful look at one year in the life of today's U.S. military personnel.
---Jim Browne