War Feels Like War a Film by Esteban Uyarra
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P.O.V. Season 17 Discussion Guide War Feels Like War A Film by Esteban Uyarra www.pbs.org/pov P.O.V. Discussion Guide | War Feels Like War Season 17 Letter from the Filmmaker LONDON, 2004 Dear Colleague, Why did I make this film? To explore why people do certain things, why they have jobs with a moral "gray area." And few things have more of this gray area than a war zone. I was also interested in finding out how journalists lived once the cameras were turned off at night, what that life that we never see behind those daily photos or reports was like. What did I learn? I learned how inhumane the whole experience is. How uncomfortable it feels to be in a place where you don’t belong, and how you question yourself every day about why you are taking photos and making films instead of throwing down the camera and helping people. Also, I learned how easy it is to forget about all these dilemmas and just start shooting footage like everybody else, and how easy it is to convince yourself you are doing something worthy. I learned how hard most journalists work and how much they actually care. At the same time, I also Filmmaker Esteban Uyarra wittnessed how little some people from the big media Photo courtesy of the filmmaker channels care about what’s in front of their eyes. And I learned how addictive this profession can be; it can make you do things you never thought you could do. Later, when I went to Haiti, I learned how scared you can become the second time you go to a war zone as you remember the potential fears from the first experience. I learned how unjust wars are, for the civilians, the soldiers, and the journalists, too. I learned how normal the Iraqi people are, and how you can find humanity in all sides. I made War Feels Like War because I wanted to share what I learned. I hope that what intrigued me helps people explore how war really feels when you are there and not just reading, watching, or listening to a news report. Esteban Uyarra War Feels Like War, Director © American Documentary, Inc. 2 P.O.V. Discussion Guide | War Feels Like War Season 17 Table of Contents Credits, Acknowledgements 4 Introduction Writer 5 Potential Partners Dr. Faith Rogow 5 Key Issues Insighters Educational Consulting 6 Background Information 6 Journalists We Meet in Producers War Feels Like War Cara Mertes 8 Using This Guide Executive Director, P.O.V. 8 Planning an Event Eliza Licht 9 Facilitating a Discussion Community Engagement Manager, P.O.V. 9 Preparing Yourself Theresa Riley 10 Preparing the Group Director of P.O.V. Interactive 11 General Discussion Questions Design: Rafael Jiménez 12 Discussion Prompts Copyeditor: Amy Vinchesi 15 Taking Action 16 Resources Thanks to those who contributed 19 How to Buy the Film and / or reviewed this guide: Sonya Shah Community Outreach Supervisor, KQED Sarah Brownrigg Associate Producer, War Feels Like War Alison Rooper Executive Producer, War Feels Like War Esteban Uyarra Director, War Feels Like War © American Documentary, Inc. 3 P.O.V. Discussion Guide | War Feels Like War Season 17 Introduction War Feels Like War, is a compelling account of the democracy, the film also offer viewers an opportunity to brutalities of modern war told through the eyes of think deeply about the importance of accurate and independent journalists. The hour-long film documents comprehensive reporting to the ability to make decisions the lives of American and European reporters and as citizens. photographers who were not embedded with the U.S. military. As the invading armies sweep into the country, some of the journalists in Kuwait decide to risk their lives to travel in their wake, hungry to discover the true impact of war on civilians. Using a small digital camera, filmmaker Esteban Uyarra records their frustration, fear, shock and horror as they work their way around military control to get access to the real Iraq War. As they make their way to Baghdad, the journalists witness a side of the war that embedded media did not cover: chaos on the streets and the fear and panic in the eyes of U.S. marines as they struggle to take on the Iraqi resistance. By following the journalists as they worked, and by interviewing them, A U.S. soldier during the U.S. invasion of Iraq often as they were working, War Feels Like War also reveals the addictive nature of modern war reporting— how it affects journalists personally and how hard it is to return to a normal life back home. As the reporters and photographers make on-the-spot decisions, viewers and journalists alike are challenged to consider the ethical dilemmas involved in covering a war. Because the journalists are covering a war being waged by a © American Documentary, Inc. 4 P.O.V. Discussion Guide | War Feels Like War Season 17 Potential Partners Key Issues War Feels Like War is well suited for use in a variety of War Feels Like War is an excellent tool for dialogue because settings and is especially recommended for use with: it provides a variety of situations and responses. It will be of special interest to people interested in exploring or working • Your local PBS station on the issues below: • Local media foreign policy • Groups focused on any of the issues listed above journalism • Groups related to the military media literacy (families, veterans, etc.) military • Faith-based organizations news • Academic departments and student groups at colleges, universities, community colleges, peace studies and high schools • Community organizations with a mission to promote education and learning such as P.O.V.’s national partners Elderhostel Learning in Retirement Centers, members of the Listen Up! Youth Media Network, or your local library © American Documentary, Inc. 5 P.O.V. Discussion Guide | War Feels Like War Season 17 Background Information Journalists We Meet in War Feels Like War P.J. O’Rourke – reporter & announcer, Steffen Knudsen – reporter, DR TV, Bengt Kristianson – reporter, NRK TV, ABC Radio, USA Denmark Norway Jan Kruse – reporter, NRK TV, Norway Stephanie Sinclair – photographer, Jacez Czarnecki – reporter, Radio Zet, Chicago Tribune, USA Poland Marco Di Lauro – photographer, Getty Images © American Documentary, Inc. 6 P.O.V. Discussion Guide | War Feels Like War Season 17 Background Information The War in Iraq and the Innovation of Embedded Journalists On March 19, 2003, the United States began a military attack on Iraq that ultimately toppled the government of Saddam Hussein. At its peak, the United States had about 150,000 troops in Iraq. After the primary military battles were over, troop size was reduced to 135,000 at a cost of approximately $4 billion per month. (Source: BBC - www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/documentaries/storyville/war- feels-like-war.shtml) In this war, the U.S. Armed Forces utilized a new concept: “embedded” journalists. Journalists were provided with basic safety training (e.g., how to put on a gas mask) and assigned to battalions with whom they remained throughout the conflict. This meant that journalists were on the front lines with the troops. It also meant that journalists were dependent on the U.S. military for food, shelter, protection, and transportation. Photographers take pictures of U.S. military Journalists got to know the soldiers with whom they were forces arresting a Fedayeen suspect in Tikrit, Iraq embedded, which allowed them to tell their stories but also might have influenced decisions about which stories to tell in the same way that it can be difficult to report dispassionately about friends or family. Because places for embedded journalists were limited, and because some journalists believed that being attached to a military battalion was a conflict of interest, some reporters, photographers, and videographers chose to try to cover the war without being embedded. War Feels Like War is about these journalists. The film calls them “independent” to differentiate them from journalists who were “embedded.” That does not mean they were freelance. Most were on the payroll of major news outlets. © American Documentary, Inc. 7 P.O.V. Discussion Guide | War Feels Like War Season 17 Using This Guide This guide is designed to help you use War Feels Like War as the centerpiece of a community event. It contains suggestions for convening an event as well as ideas for how to help participants think more deeply about the issues in the film. The discussion questions are designed for a very wide range of audiences. Rather than attempt to address them all, choose one or two that best meet the needs and interests of your group. Planning an Event In addition to showcasing documentary films as an art form, screenings of P.O.V. films can be used to present information, get people interested in taking action on an issue, provide opportunities for people from different groups or perspectives to exchange views, and/or create space for reflection. Using the questions below as a planning checklist will help ensure a high-quality/high- impact event. • Have you defined your goals? With your partner(s), set realistic goals. Will you host a single event or engage in an ongoing project? Being clear about your goals will make it much easier to structure the event, target publicity, and evaluate results. • Does the way you are planning to structure the event fit your goals? Do you need an outside facilitator, translator, or sign language interpreter? If your goal is to share information, are there local experts on the topic who should be present? How large an audience do you want? (Large groups are appropriate for information exchanges.