National Bird
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | National Bird |
| Original title | National Bird |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English , Dari |
| Publishing year | 2016 |
| length | 92 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Sonia Kennebeck |
| production |
Ines Hofmann Kanna , Sonia Kennebeck |
| music | Insa Rudolph |
| camera | Torsten Lapp |
| cut | Maxine Goedicke |
National Bird is a documentary from director Sonia Kennebeck about the increasing military use of drones by the United States . It was published in 2016 and produced by Ines Hofmann Kanna and Sonia Kennebeck, among others.
content
National Bird accompanies three veterans of the US military who were involved in various functions in preventive strikes , i.e. targeted killings in the course of the war on terror by drones, who later experience a crisis of conscience.
The three protagonists Lisa, Daniel and Heather become whistleblowers who report in detail about their experiences and present their individual attitudes and changes as well as take a stance on political and military developments.
Daniel worked for the National Security Agency (NSA) and now takes part in anti - war demonstrations . His house was searched by the FBI while filming was still in progress, the investigation is ongoing and he is to be charged with espionage. A hearing has not yet started and his current whereabouts are unknown.
Lisa presents a letter of appreciation from the US military in the film, in which she is thanked for helping identify 121,000 “targets” over a two-year period. She then suggests to the viewer to extrapolate for themselves how many deaths there have been as a result of such identifications since the beginning of the war in Afghanistan from 2001 onwards . It is like "as if there were no more borders."
Heather was a US Air Force data analyst who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder due to her indirect involvement in combat missions and is having trouble finding a psychotherapist with the necessary clearance for her level of confidentiality. She was one of the first drone program veterans to receive a PTSD disability pension .
The film later changes locations to Afghanistan and shows Lisa meeting survivors of an attack by a Predator drone with Hellfire missiles from 2010. 23 civilians were killed in this attack - the incident became the subject of a committee of inquiry.
Excerpts from Barack Obama's speech on the precision and reliability of modern warfare are contrasted with the images from the cameras of the attack drones and statements from those affected .
The US General a. D. Stanley A. McChrystal and protagonists' attorney Jesselyn Radack , who herself became known as the whistleblower and lawyer of Edward Snowden .
production
“I made this film in part to highlight the repercussions of future governments holding these powers, but I don't think many people realize how bad things already are under Obama, the whistleblowers in the film took great risks, because they felt that people need to know what is happening inside the drone program. But, over the course of our shooting, the film ended up being as much about the consequences of whistleblowing as it did about the drone program itself. "
“I made this film to show the repercussions of such power for future governments - but I don't think a lot of people realize how bad things are under Obama . The whistleblowers in the film took great risks believing people needed to know what was going on inside the drone program, but as the film went on, the film evolved to portray equally the consequences of whistleblowing , like the drone program itself. "
The protagonists of the film were secrets in their former work and had to deal with information that was subject to a level of confidentiality . The statements made in front of the camera were therefore checked by lawyers for their safety in order to prevent charges under the Espionage Act of 1917.
Film awards
National Bird was nominated for three film awards through January 2017, but won none of the awards. The film was nominated for:
- the “Amnesty International Film Prize” 2016 of the Berlin International Film Festival
- the award “Best Documentary” 2016 from the East End Film Festival
- the "Golden Gate Award" 2016 of the San Francisco International Film Festival
The German Film and Media Assessment FBW in Wiesbaden awarded the film the rating particularly valuable.
Web links
- National Bird in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- nationalbirdfilm.com - website for the film
- Interview with the director Sonia Kennebeck on Jung und Naiv about her film US drone war: Director Sonia Kennebeck on "National Bird"
- About the film
- Pratap Chatterjee: When Drone Operators Become Collateral Damage. In: The Nation . April 21, 2016, Retrieved April 13, 2020 (American English).
Individual evidence
- ^ Certificate of Approval for National Bird . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry (PDF; test number: 161817 / K).
- ^ A b Murtaza Hussain: A New Documentary Explores the Devastating Effects of Drone Warfare on Victims and Whistleblowers. In: The Intercept . November 20, 2016, Retrieved April 13, 2020 (American English).
- ↑ Alex Needham: National Bird review - chilling film reveals truths about drones. In: The Guardian . April 17, 2016, accessed April 13, 2020 (UK English).
- ^ A b c Peter Debruge: Berlin Film Review: 'National Bird'. In: Variety . February 15, 2016, Retrieved April 13, 2020 (American English).
- ^ Drone crew criticized in Afghan strike. In: CNN . May 29, 2010. Retrieved April 13, 2020 (American English).
- ^ Film data sheet: National Bird . In: Berlin International Film Festival . 2016.