(guest blogged by Howie Klein)
For most Americans, following the tragic and utterly depressing ins and outs of the Bush Regime's mad rush to war in Iraq and their devastating and willful agenda of death and destruction both by lethal weapons and gross incompetence, can get very overwhelming... very fast. First time film maker Charles Ferguson has written, directed and produced a documentary so powerful and so precise that 102 breathtaking minutes will catch most people up with most of what's gone down in Iraq in the last 4 years. The movie tells the unembelished story of what the Bush Regime has wrought in the Middle East through the eyes and through the words of reliable on-the-scene actors like Colin Powell's Chief of Staff, Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, ex-Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, Ambassador Barbara Bodine, Bush's first Iraq "viceroy," General Jay Garner, as well as through the experiences of Iraqi civilian leaders and American military personnel in Baghdad. It is showing in NYC and DC now, opens throughout the L.A. area today and all over the country a week from today.
No End in Sight doesn't attempt to draw conclusions about whether the tragic melding of arrogance and ignorance-- Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and their cronies-- purposely created the chaos that has destroyed civil society in Iraq; the movie just documents that destruction in the most compelling way the medium of film can be used and leaves the conclusions to the viewer. The uniqueness of this film lies in Ferguson's ability to bring the viewer right into the space of the decision makers (if not The Decider). "The film," he explained, "is the first detailed dissection of the extraordinary way in which some of these decisions were made-- in secret, by a small number of men who had virtually no relevant experience and who either failed to consult with, or overruled, the people on the ground and the military."
Please take a look at a short segment of film chosen for C&L by Magnolia Films, read the rest of our report at Down With Tyranny or Mark Groubert's review of the film, and then help us ask Charles questions about his film and our national tragedy, here at Crooks and Liars at 11am, PT.
(Nicole: We want to thank Charles for joining us and Howie for hosting this live chat.
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