International politics

THE WHITE PLATOON

Filmmakers Yuri Maldavsky and Tim Grucza spent several months over the course of one year with the White platoon of the 1/7 cavalry division in southern Baghdad. Shot with two cameras, the film follows them all the way back to their hometown in Texas. The filmmakers’ unique access to their subjects enables them to draw an intimate portrait of the war in Iraq and the “men behind the soldiers” who are fighting it. The film focuses on four main characters from Anderson's platoon, but their story is typical of many of the 140,000 soldiers stationed in Iraq. From the symbolic handover of power to the Iraqi people, to the underpublicized bloody election day, to the tearful reunion with families and wounded fellow soldiers, we follow these men as they go from being eager young soldiers to hardened and cynical war veterans. A portrait of changed men, who will never be the same again.