Sebastian Hunger y Tim Hetherington, más que periodistas
El reportero (convertido a director de cine) Sebastian Junger nos trajo en 2010, con la ayuda del prestigioso fotógrafo Tim Hetherington –fallecido en Libia un año después—, uno de los documentales bélicos más impactantes de la década: Restrepo, nominado al Oscar al mejor documental. Aprovechando el tirón de dicha cinta, el realizador vuelve a situarnos en el peligroso valle de Afganistán, Korengal (lugar donde se centraba el primer largometraje y que da título al que hoy nos ocupa), con el grupo especial de marines estadounidenses conocido como Restrepo. Según el propio director, el filme, lejos de ser una reedición del material extra sobrante del primer corte, resulta una continuación desde donde se quedó la primera parte, siguiendo con la misión justo en ese lugar para tratar de explicar los efectos y las consecuencias de la peligrosa maniobra llevada a cabo, dando mucha importancia a las secuelas personales de cada soldado, algunos de los cuales ya están de vuelta en sus casas. El documental cuenta con los mismos protagonistas que su predecesor, creando desde el principio, sobre todo para aquellos que hayan visto la primera parte, esa sensación de familiaridad con los protagonistas que conseguirá que empaticemos con ellos desde el comienzo. Con seguridad, un gran tributo de Junger a Hetherington. La fecha de estreno está programada para el 30 de mayo en Nueva York. Hasta entonces os dejamos con este primer tráiler promocional.
texto| Alberto Sáez
fuente| The Film Stage
Nota de prensa de Junger|
To the men of Battle Company, 2/503 –
«Six years ago, you welcomed my colleague, Tim Hetherington, and me onto your bases in the Korengal valley. We spent a year, off and on, at the KOP and at Restrepo; we went on innumerable patrols and were in countless TICs. You helped us keep safe and you answered our questions and mostly, you gave us your friendship and your trust…and the result was our film, Restrepo. We wanted to make a completely non-political film that would help civilians back home understand what you were doing for them, and we could not have done it without you guys.
Tim Hetherington Tim and I often talked about making a follow-up to Restrepo, but he was tragically killed in Libya two years ago, covering the civil war, and I was left on my own with the project. I enlisted the other two members of our old Restrepo team and we went back to work. The result, Korengal, is another feature-length film that will come out in theaters in June, and online in September. Like with Restrepo, we paid for the entire production ourselves, which gave us complete control of what the film would be. Restrepo was intended to be a way for civilians to experience what combat feels like; Korengal is very different. It tries for understanding rather than experience. How does fear work? Courage? What is it like to come home from war? Why do so many soldiers miss the war they were in?
I think that many of the questions that you have been asked by civilians over the years, are answered in this film. I’m incredibly proud of it; it truly does pick up where Restrepo left off. I hope you get a chance to see it, I hope you like it and – above all – I hope you are doing well out there in the world. If you come through New York, please let me know. And if you would like to help bring attention to this film when it comes out in June, we would be thrilled to have you on the team».
Best wishes,
Sebastian Junger
