Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home Culture

THE ROAD TO GUANTANAMO

byStaff writers
19 November 2006
Reading Time: 2 mins read
AA
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Starring: Docudrama
Director: Michael Winterbottom and Matt Whitecross
Rated: MA15+

AFTER a screening at the Berlin Film Festival where it won an award for direction, The Road to Guantanamo was given a cinema release, a television screening and DVD distribution within a few weeks.

It is well worth catching.

Michael Winterbottom has had a prolific output during the last 10 years, including Jude, Wonderland, The Claim and, most recently, A Cock and Bull Story.

However, he has also ventured into the political and social areas with his Welcome to Sarajevo (1997), a picture of an American journalist experiencing war in the Balkans and his Berlin Golden Bear winner, In This World.

In This World traced the journey of a young Afghan refugee from his life in the camps, across Iran into Europe and his getting to England. It was brief, documentary-like and filmed in authentic locations.

Winterbottom and his co-director, Matt Whitecross, have created a film that combines documentary style with feature film storytelling, all the more vivid because of this.

As might be expected, it takes a stance very critical of the Americans and their treatment of prisoners in Afghanistan and, finally, in the camp at Guantanamo Bay.

Its partisan attitudes have been supported by reports from Guantanamo and reports about it, especially from the United Nations.

The film takes on the story of three young British men from Tipton who went to Pakistan for a wedding. They were not saints and some had police records for petty offences. They ventured into Afghanistan out of some kind of solidarity (which critics of their story say is at least imprudent but suspect more sinister motives) and soon found themselves under fire with the American invasion.

Related Stories

Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict

Holiness is possible and the Church provides tools to attain it, cardinal says

Church workers have helped more than 1.2 million Ukrainians during the war, Caritas says

They tried to get back to Pakistan (one of their friends disappeared) but, instead, found themselves among the Taliban prisoners.

The film re-enacts the treatment they received. At times it is quite brutal.

They are treated with deep suspicion. Psychological pressure is put on them, naming them as terrorists, forcing them to confess.

After these camps, they are blindfolded and sent to Guantanamo in Cuba. Again, the film spends a great deal of time showing the bullying (to say the least), the isolation and psychological pressure, aspects of contempt by guards of their Muslim beliefs and continued aggressive interrogations.

It should be said that some guards are presented as more humane.

The three young British men were eventually released from Guantanamo and are free.

They are interviewed throughout the film and we finally see them at the wedding in Pakistan.

Topical, sobering and challenging, the SIGNIS jury gave this film its prize at Venice this year.

ShareTweet
Previous Post

WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?

Next Post

Art with a little heart

Staff writers

Related Posts

Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict
News

Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict

19 May 2022
Holiness is possible and the Church provides tools to attain it, cardinal says
Faith

Holiness is possible and the Church provides tools to attain it, cardinal says

18 May 2022
Church workers have helped more than 1.2 million Ukrainians during the war, Caritas says
World

Church workers have helped more than 1.2 million Ukrainians during the war, Caritas says

18 May 2022
Next Post

Art with a little heart

Nation on knees for rain

Cloning bill has 'hidden horror'

Popular News

  • Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

    Angel’s Kitchen serves hot meals to the hungry in Southport

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI turned 95 on a ‘very happy’ day

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Here are the stories of 10 new saints being canonised this Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Parishes unite for Logan deanery family festival this Sunday

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Holiness is possible and the Church provides tools to attain it, cardinal says

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict
News

Francis offers advice on politics: Seek unity, don’t get lost in conflict

by Mark Bowling
19 May 2022
0

POPE Francis met members of the Chemin Neuf Political Fraternity this week, offering the young group some...

Holiness is possible and the Church provides tools to attain it, cardinal says

Holiness is possible and the Church provides tools to attain it, cardinal says

18 May 2022
Church workers have helped more than 1.2 million Ukrainians during the war, Caritas says

Church workers have helped more than 1.2 million Ukrainians during the war, Caritas says

18 May 2022
Minority Catholic woman takes pride in Asia’s overlooked saints

Minority Catholic woman takes pride in Asia’s overlooked saints

18 May 2022
Bishops call out racism, gun violence after U.S. shooting

Bishops call out racism, gun violence after U.S. shooting

17 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping