We refreshed our "10 Must-See War Documentaries" following the release of the incredible "Jim: The James Foley Story". Here are our picks for 10 more must-see war documentaries.
First on the list has to be The Unknown Known which inspired our first edition of must see war documentaries. From legendary director Errol Morris, The Unknown Known turns the camera on former US Secretary of Defence Donald Rumsfeld. Rumsfeld is considered one of the architects of the Iraq war and this film gives fascinating insight into the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Dirty Wars
Dirty Wars is the thrilling story of Jeremy Scahill as he investigates the hidden truth behind America's covert wars. The films begins as an investigation as a report on a deadly U.S. night raid in Afghanistan and turns into an investigation into the Joint Special Operations Command - a world of covert missions and men who do not exist on paper. The film was nominated for the 2013 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.
Only The Dead is a collection of footage shot over seven years by Australian journalist Michael Ware during the Iraq War. During his time in Iraq, Michael Ware came in contact with Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the most vicious Al Qaeda leader the world has ever seen. Zarqawi invites Ware to film him and gives him footage to release to the news - setting Ware on an epic voyage as he seeks the truth.
5 Broken Cameras
Emad, a palestinian villager, films over more than 5 years as daily arrests and night raids scare his family. His friends, brothers and himself are either shot and arrested and one camera after another gets broken over the years. The film was nominated for the 2013 Academy Award for Best Documentary.
Winner of the 2010 Sundance Grand Jury Prize, and heralded as possibly the best war film ever made, Restrepo focuses on the deployment of a US platoon in Afghanistan’s hostile Korengal Valley . Over the course of 15 months, the two filmmakers Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger (author of The Perfect Storm) lived with the unit shadowing their every move, resulting in extraordinary footage.
Korengal
Korengal is the second film from Restrepo's Sebastian Junger and picks up where the former left off. The same soldiers, the same valley - this story doesn't end at Restrepo.
Hell and Back Again
What does it take to lead men in war? What does it mean to come home? Hell and Back Again is a cinematically revolutionary film that asks and answers these questions with a power and intimacy no previous film about the conflict in Afghanistan has been able to achieve. The film was nominated for Best Documentary at the 2012 Academy Awards.
Little Dieter Needs to Fly
Werner Herzog focuses on German-American Dieter Dengler, a naval pilot during the Vietnam War. In the film Dengler discusses his time in service, and revisits the sites of his capture and eventual escape from the hands of Vietcong.
The Confession: Living the War on Terror
From supporting the Bosnian Mujahideen to being imprisoned in Bagram and Guantanamo, from the rebel training camps in Syria to the prison cells of Belmarsh in Britain, Moazzam Begg has experienced a generation of conflict. This is his first-hand account, a chronicle of the rise of modern jihad, its descent into terror and the disastrous reaction of the West.
Armadillo
Armadillo follows a group of Danish soldiers during their time in the war in Afghanistan. A fascinating, authentic portrait of young men at war, with a constant threat on their lives and being confronted with the fact that majority of victims of war are local villagers. Armadillo became the source of much debate in Denmark following release because of controversial actions of the soldiers. The film was awarded the Grand Prix de la Semaine de la Critique at the 2010 Cannes film festival.