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Occupation: Dreamland
Occupation: Dreamland is an unflinchingly candid portrait of a squad of American soldiers deployed in the doomed Iraq city of Falluja during the winter of 2004. A collective study of the soldiers unfolds as they patrol an environment of low-intensity conflict creeping steadily towards catastrophe. Through the squads activities Occupation: Dreamland provides a vital glimpse into the last days of Falluja. The film documents the citys waning stability before a final series of military assaults began in the spring of 2004 that effectively destroyed it.
Filmmakers Garrett Scott and Ian Olds were given access to all operations of the Armys 82nd Airborne. They lived with the unit 24/7, giving voice to soldiers held under a strict code of authority as they cope with an ambiguous, often lethal environment. The result is a revealing, sometimes surprising look at Army life, operations and the complexity of American war in the 21st century.
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Paul Rieckhoff, Founder, Operation Truth
"The men of the 82nd Airborne have been at the tip of the spear since the start of our combat operations after 9/11. Understanding their experiences and the difficulties they encounter help us all to better understand the war. And why we aren't winning it."
Ian Olds
"One of the questions I am often asked is, 'How did you get the access?' To some it seems incredible that two independent filmmakers could get intimate access to a Forward Operating Base in Iraq and come back with such starkly candid material" More from the Occupation: Dreamland Blog
What the Critics Say...
Adam Sternbergh, New York Magazine
"Occupation: Dreamland recalls Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, except with real kids." More
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
"A respectful and determinedly nonpartisan portrait of regular guys ... all doing their best to carry out inchoate orders in an untenable situation." More
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
"A grunt's eye view of the current situation that needs to be seen, regardless of a viewer's political persuasion." More
Joshua Land, Village Voice
"The terrific Occupation: Dreamland, a fair-minded grunt's eye view of the war in Iraq that trusts the audience to draw its own conclusions." More
David Frear, Time Out New York
"By giving these men a forum even before Falluja became a household name and showing what has been conspicously absent from our tv screens - actual footage of the conflict - the [directors] have made something far chewier than the usual bumper-sticker polemics." More
Jay Weisberg, Variety
"A sympathetic look at the average Joe doing duty in hell" More
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Learn more about life under fire.
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'Darfur Now' is a story of hope in the midst of one of humanity's darkest hours - a call to action for people everywhere to end the catastrophe unfolding in Darfur, Sudan. In this documentary, the struggles and achievements of six different individuals from inside Darfur and around the world bring to light the tragedy in Sudan and show how the actions of one person can make a difference to millions.
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Watch Interview with Don Cheadle
Watch Darfur Now PSA
'Angels in the Dust' is the story of a courageous, self-sacrificing, fiercely loving woman who chooses a spiritual path over a material one; it tells of the life-changing power of one compassionate heart. For a nation overwhelmed by an epidemic of HIV/AIDS, orphans, rape, violence, and Apartheid's legacy of social and political unrest, the film offers a clear pathway of hope and a replicable paradigm for the future.
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On his first weekend back after serving in Iraq, Mike Deerfield (Jonathan Tucker) goes missing and is reported AWOL. When Hank Deerfield (Tommy Lee Jones), a former military MP and his wife Joan (Susan Sarandon) get the phone call with the disturbing news, Hank sets out to search for their son. Local police detective Emily Sanders (Charlize Theron) reluctantly helps him in his search and soon finds herself in a fight with the military brass. When the truth about Mike's time in Iraq finally begins to emerge, Hank's entire world is challenged and he's forced to reevaluate long-held beliefs to solve the mystery behind his son's disappearance.
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"I can still hear him hollering and coaching.."
-- William Haley (L) and his brother Glen remember their father, Joseph Howard Haley, founder of Jackie Robinson West Little League in Chicago. More
'Fears of Your Life', by Michael Bernard Loggins, read by Tom Wright
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