Educational Media Reviews Online

In this evocative and ambiguous cinema vignette, an injured African American woman wearing the uniform of the U.S. Army stumbles across the rocky desertscape of Iraq. She’s discovered by a trio of Iraqi children who after intense discussion among themselves decide to bring the injured woman to their grandmother. Grandmother feeds the soldier, tends to her injuries, and gives her shelter for the night. The following morning, the soldier dons her uniform again, and after a brief moment with the grandmother over shared cigarettes and cups of coffee, she resumes her walk across the desert.

AWOL poses unanswered questions. Why has this soldier gone AWOL? Is she the victim of a physical or sexual assault? Is she seeking to rejoin her unit or looking for sanctuary? While the soldier and the grandmother share no common language, the two women share a bond of sympathy and compassion, and the youngest child, an orphan, quickly formed a close attachment with the American. This film would be an excellent resource to stimulate discussion on the problems of women in the military or issues of communication between cultures. Recommended for specialized programs in women’s studies, multicultural studies, or African American studies.