Battle for Haditha (2007)

Director:

Nick Broomfield

Writers:

Nick Broomfield (written by)
Marc Hoeferlin (written by)

Release Date:

7 May 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Tagline:

There are many ways to see the same story

Plot:

An investigation of the massacre of 24 men, women and children in Haditha, Iraq allegedly shot by 4 U.S. Marines in retaliation for the death of a U.S. Marine killed by a roadside bomb. The movie follows the story of the Marines of Kilo Company, an Iraqi family, and the insurgents who plant the roadside bomb. |

Plot Keywords:

Marine | Roadside Bomb | Grenade | House To House Search | Al Qaeda

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Matthew Knoll	...	Cpl. Matthews (as Matthew R. Knoll)
Eric Mehalacopoulos	...	Sgt. Ross
Nathan De La Cruz	...	Cpl. Marcus
Elliot Ruiz	...	Cpl. Ramirez
Jase Willette	...	Pfc. Cuthbert
Thomas Hennessy	...	Doc (as Thomas Hennessy Jr.)
Tony Spencer	...	Pfc. Roberts
Vernon Gaines	...	Lcpl. Sosa
Antonio Tostado	...	Lcpl. Jimenez
Ali Adil Aj-kaa	...	Iraqi Translator
Yasmine Hanani	...	Hiba
Siham Rashid	...	Asma
Majd Hijjawi	...	Woman shot in street
Falah Abraheem Flayeh	...	Ahmad (as Falah Flayeh)
Juliet Koshaba	...	Saba

Also Known As:

Untitled Nick Broomfield/Haditha Documentary (UK) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for war violence, disturbing images, and for pervasive language.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | Arabic

Colour:

Colour

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Netherlands:16 | Germany:16 | USA:R | Singapore:M18 | France:U (with warning) | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Jerash, Jordan

Company:

Channel Four Films

Trivia:

The film was shot in an unconventional way whereas instead of a detailed script, there was only an outline of each scene and where the story was going. Actors would then improvise much of the dialogue based on director Nick Broomfield's instructions.

Very skillful exploration of the Iraq war

I just saw this movie and found it very moving. I have spent some time with Iraq veterans and I feel this movie did a very accurate job portraying what they went through.

I think it's important to point out that 12 of the actors, including Ruiz, who plays Corporal Ramirez, are themselves Iraq veterans. Here are some quotes from Ramirez: "I was 17 when I was sent to Iraq, during the initial invasion. We pushed all the way up to Tikrit and I ended up being wounded, I almost lost my life. It's crazy, people don't know the type of things that we go through. That's what I like about the film, it shows that." The concept of taking Iraq refugees and ex-marines to make a movie with no script is brilliant. I felt the improvisation from these actors was likely better and more realistic than anything professional actors could have pulled off. I was also impressed with the production values, especially since no US funds were available for a fair and honest portrayal of such events.