The Kill Team 2013
Distributed by Bullfrog Films, PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547; 800-543-FROG (3764)
Produced by Linda Davis
Directed by Dan Krauss
DVD , color, 79 min.
High School - General Adult
Afghanistan, Military, Psychology, Sociology, War Crimes, Ethics, Documentaries
Date Entered: 07/20/2015
ALA Notable: yes
Reviewed by Jeffrey Pearson, University of Michigan Ann Arbor
The Kill Team is a chilling examination of war crimes committed by U.S. platoon soldiers in Afghanistan, told largely through the story of 21-year-old infantryman Adam Winfield and his failed efforts to bring attention to premeditated Afghan civilian killings as they were happening. The film is remarkable in its cool and dispassionate approach, letting candid interviews with the accused soldiers, intimate footage of Winfield family interactions, and pre-trial meetings with military counsel quietly reveal the details. The crimes are all the more horrific for it, punctuated by the inclusion of smiling “trophy pics” taken by soldiers posing with their dead victims. The documentary reveals the human face of war from both the Afghan and U.S. military sides with a rare clarity. It’s heartbreaking for the Afghans as well as the American soldiers who are taught to devalue life in order to kill and then commit monstrous acts when caught up in an abject failure of moral leadership.
This film is an essential selection for public and academic libraries that collect documentaries on current events and the U.S. war effort. It will excel as a discussion generator in classes related to psychology, sociology, history, ethics, and war.
Awards:
- Truer Than Fiction Award, Independent Spirit Awards, 2015
- Top Five Documentaries, National Board of Review, USA, 2014
- Human Rights Award, RiverRun International Film Festival, 2014
- Golden Gate Award, San Francisco International Film Festival, 2013
- Best Documentary Feature, Tribeca Film Festival, 2014