Saw this back at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival
This documentary is about the Guantanamo detainees who are released into a year long program of de-radicalization in Saudi Arabia, with the eventual goal of finding jobs and starting families. The Guantanamo, 9/11 and Islamic culture has been a big thing during the early 2000s as it had changed the world of the United States and Middle Eastern culture between the two. This documentary is a very interesting and well informed story about extremists who are going through rehab. The presentation and music soundtrack is really good and felts the narrative tone. Surprisingly, there were some animation sequences to describe events that would be difficult to reenact and the animations were very appropriate.
The interviews are pretty impressive and also pretty scary at times. Because the participants being interviewed are either very genuine about their beliefs, some are obviously manipulative and some responses were really chilling and disturbing. Director Meg Smaker really does a great job on exploring the clash between the two cultures and how it affects the two populations. Especially for something to be this serious isn't easy to do. The editing choices are purposeful. Although the music does get really preachy at times, it fits the tone perfectly. The pacing does need some improvement and my biggest complain is that Smaker didn't really reveal certain important aspects that I was wishing that she was going to provide. Like if there was two points that could have been mentioned. I am not a war person or political kind but I feel like something was missing.
Although it's flaws, it's an interesting watch that I would recommend. I don't understand what the other reviewer meant by this movie being clueless tho. Because it isn't clueless.
Rating: B+