Restrepo on National Geographic Channel Tonight: Off-topic discussion forum: Grassroots Motorsports Magazine

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April 25, 2011 6:05 p.m. aircooled SuperDork

Showing at 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm (not sure if that is corrected for time zones)

It looks like it is pretty intense.

Description:

RESTREPO is a feature-length documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. The movie focuses on a remote 15-man outpost, "Restrepo," named after a platoon medic who was killed in action. It was considered one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. This is an entirely experiential film: the cameras never leave the soldiers; there are no interviews with generals or diplomats. The only goal is to make viewers feel as if they have just been through a 90-minute deployment. This is war, full stop. The conclusions are up to you.

http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/restrepo-afghan-outpost-4808

On of the Directors of this documentary was just killed in Lybia.

http://afghanistan.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/20/creator-of-afghanistan-documentary-restrepo-killed-in-libya/
April 25, 2011 9:13 p.m. Luke SuperDork

That's a good documentary, as documentaries go. Caught it the last time it was on NatGeo. It provides quite a refreshing dose of realism, after watching dramatisations like 'Generation Kill' (which is okay in its own right.)

Sad to hear about the director. I guess those guys really do put themselves in the midst of it to get their story.
April 25, 2011 9:16 p.m. Tom Suddard SonDork

I saw it a few weeks ago, and would highly recommend it. Great story, and very honest. Not really something for small children, though.
April 25, 2011 9:38 p.m. cardiacdog New Reader

Heard from a guy who is a helicopter pilot that it is very realistic and very intense
April 26, 2011 5:49 a.m. DrBoost SuperDork

It's in my Netflix instant cue....
April 26, 2011 7:30 a.m. jrw1621 SuperDork

Watched it. Thanks for the tip, enjoyed it.
By "enjoyed" I mean that I found it disturbing and real. The whole time I watched I did have one thought, "so who really wants you to be there?" It seems the locals do not.
April 26, 2011 10:30 a.m. aircooled SuperDork

I like the style of the documentary, just showing what people did and said, no judgments or evaluations. The camera guy was certainly brave, especially when he went out on the Rock Avalanche operation.
April 26, 2011 10:51 a.m. Luke SuperDork

jrw1621 wrote:

The whole time I watched I did have one thought, "so who really wants you to be there?" It seems the locals do not.

Since you brought it up...

One thing in particular that irked me, was when they (soldiers) couldn't come up with the petty amount of cash to replace the cow/goat/whatever, that I believe became stuck in one of their barbed wire fences, and had to be shot. (Or something like that.) It would seem to me that a small good-faith gesture such as that would go a long way in placating the locals.
April 26, 2011 11:02 a.m. jrw1621 SuperDork

I would rather that my statement became less about political motives of the troops being there and more about how I liked that the film gave us a view we do not typically see.
Yes, this is a retraction of an unintended flounder-ish statement and I would rather focus of the film style and presentation.
April 26, 2011 11:04 a.m. Luke SuperDork

I floundered it, if anything . But let's not go there.
April 26, 2011 11:07 a.m. aircooled SuperDork

I noticed that also. I was thinking they did not want to give them cash (which they wanted) because they did not want to make it easy for them (or someone who might steal it?) to use that money to buy weapons / explosives etc.

Realistically the cow represented a certain amount of food (slaughtered), so it seems like there offer was pretty reasonable (assuming it wasn't a milk cow).

Edit: I modified my posts also... I could see how this could go down the wrong road.

I always like (maybe a bad word for this) seeing films like these... gives you some perspective, even if you can't really know how it was or what is really going on.
April 26, 2011 11:14 a.m. jeffmx5 Reader

I caught it a while back, just stumbled on it one night. It is one of those programs you don't 'enjoy' watching, but it pulls you in and won't let go.

It is even more troubling now as my BIL is due to deploy there this summer.
April 26, 2011 11:24 a.m. digdug18 Dork

good show, though it seems only to be on national geographic because the film maker that produced and did everything to it was recently killed.
April 26, 2011 12:05 p.m. poopshovel SuperDork

I've seen it a couple times now. I cried. A whole bunch. If I was dictator, it'd be required watchin'. It's a good reminder that talk of "Yeah, let's just bomb the hell outta those berkeleyers" is all well and good until it's your kid/friend/brother/sister out there. And jesus, they're kids; kids who are going to be affected by this stuff for the rest of their lives. Makes my head hurt.