Culture & Religion — February 28, 2011

Oscar, Afghanistan and America

Journalists Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington clinched an Oscar nomination for their documentary "Restrepo," in which they show the Afghanistan war through the eyes of soldiers.

bigthinkeditor

Despite living alongside soldiers in the embattled hills of Afghanistan, the two documentary filmmakers behind “Restrepo” were not entirely prepared for their mission into Hollywood: “Their curious journey to the Academy Awards began in 2007, on the other side of the globe. That’s when they set out to accompany a US platoon all the way to Afghanistan, originally on assignment for Vanity Fair. They ended up staying and turning the trip, which stretched over many months, into a documentary film showing the Afghanistan war through the soldiers’ eyes —gripping as never before.”

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