RESTREPO {ANAMORPHIC}
Summary
A documentary about a unit of American soldiers stationed in Afghanistan and the physical and psychological challenges they face during their deployment. In May of 2007, Battle Company 2nd of the 503rd Infantry Regiment of the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team was deployed to Korengal Valley in Eastern Afghanistan. Considered by many in the United States military to be the most dangerous posting in the war in Afghanistan, the men of the ABCT have been deployed there for 15 months to keep insurgents at bay and oversee the construction of an important road. Their leader, Captain Dan Kearney, has heard of Korengal’s infamous reputation and is determined to do his part to secure it. Upon their arrival in Korengal Valley, the men of Kearney’s unit are struck by the unfriendly terrain and their disadvantageous position, likening it to being “fish in a barrel.” They land at the Korengal Outpost, or “KOP,” and it is not long before they are embroiled in near-constant firefights with the enemy. They regularly make efforts to convince the local people to aid them against the insurgency, but they are usually not successful. While on patrol in a nearby village, the troops are attacked by hidden gunmen in the hills. During the exchange of fire, Private First Class Juan “Doc” Restrepo, a good friend to many soldiers in the company, is shot twice in the neck and bleeds to death while en route to medical help. Captain Kearney continues to meet with the valley elders, who appreciate the soldiers’ fight against the insurgents but are concerned that innocent civilians could get caught in the crossfire. The first few months of deployment see the soldiers facing daily firefights with the enemy and frequent ambushes, despite heavy bombing support from friendly aircraft. Specialist Misha Pemble-Belkin recounts his “hippie” upbringing and his feelings on Restrepo’s death; a few days afterward he called his mother on her birthday and did not let his grief over Restrepo’s death show through. Two months after Restrepo’s death, the unit pushed deeper into the valley and established a new hilltop post, which they name “Outpost Restrepo” in honor of their fallen friend. It is on the site of a former enemy emplacement and Kearney believes that its’ audacious founding rankles the local Taliban. They face heavier resistance, sometimes four to five firefights a day at their new position. They continue their patrols through the local villages and find that many will not assist them for fear that the Taliban will kill them for doing so. All of them are acutely aware of the ease with which they could all be pinned down and killed at almost any moment. Kearney speaks with the valley elders about a man that U.S. forces detained for working alongside the Taliban. The elders are still unwilling to cooperate with Kearney. However, three village elders arrive at Outpost Restrepo with a grievance: a cow belonging to one of them got caught in the outposts’ tripwires, so the soldiers killed it to put it out of its misery. The owner demands monetary compensation and they try to work out an agreement. After a brief quiet period, Kearney leads his men on “Operation: Rock Avalanche,” which will launch a massive assault against nearby Taliban emplacements. The first day of the operation sees several bombing and missile runs against Taliban strongholds, but civilian families are accidentally injured or killed in the process. Kearney feels guilty about the civilian injuries and tries to take steps to talk to victims about it. The second day of “Rock Avalanche” commences and the soldiers expect an enemy attack at any time. The third day confirms that enemy scouts have been observing them the entire time. A devastating ambush ensues, and several soldiers are killed as Kearney’s men struggle to hold off the advance. Sergeant Aron Hijar and Specialist Miguel Cortez recount their struggle to lend medical aid to their wounded squad mates. The unit takes a nearby hill and drives off the insurgents, but suffer casualties in the process. Some of them emotionally break down upon learning of the deaths of their friends. They speak about their lasting trauma of “Rock Avalanche” and how they have had difficulty returning to a normal life because of it. At Outpost Restrepo, they learn that their sister company suffered heavy losses trying to establish an outpost. Captain Kearney gathers his troops together and speaks to them about not losing sight of their goals, and of honoring their dead. The one-year anniversary of Restrepo’s death arrives, and his friends reminisce about him. They launch signal flares into the sky to commemorate his death. Soon thereafter, the unit’s deployment in Korengal Valley ends and they depart from Outpost Restrepo. Captain Kearney believes that the outpost changed the outcome of the battle there. The men feel that “Restrepo” became an appropriate name for the outpost due to its perseverance. The epilogue notes that in April of 2010, the Untied States Army withdrew from Korengal valley and that fifty American soldiers lost their lives there.
Details
- NETWORK: N/A
- DATE: 2010
- RUNNING TIME: 1:33:36
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: 104646
- GENRE: Public Affairs/Documentaries
- SUBJECT HEADING: Public Affairs/Documentaries
- SERIES RUN: N/A
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- John Battsek … Executive Producer
- Nick Quested … Executive Producer
- Tim Hetherington … Producer, Director
- Sebastian Junger … Producer, Director
- Guy Garcia … Music by
- Dan Kearney … Cast
- LaMonta Caldwell … Cast
- Aron Hijar … Cast
- Misha Pemble-Belkin … Cast
- Miguel Cortez … Cast
- Sterling Jones … Cast
- Brendan O'Byrne … Cast
- Joshua McDonough … Cast
- Kyle Steiner … Cast
- Kevin Rice … Cast
- Stephen Gillespie
- William Ostlund
- Mark Patterson
- Juan Restrepo
- Larry Rougle
- Marc Solowski
- Tanner Stichter
- Angel Toves