Korengal, the powerful new documentary, is a follow-up to the Oscar-nominated film, Restrepo.
Directed by filmmaker, war journalist and author Sebastian Junger, the film offers a look at the experience of combat through a deep, haunting exploration of the soldiers’ psychology.
From May 2007 to July 2008, Junger and his peer Tim Hetherington chronicled the deployment of a platoon of U.S. troops in the deadliest region of Afghanistan, resulting in the good documentary Restrepo.
Constructed by Junger from their unused footage, Korengal picks up where the previous film left off: the same men, the same valley, the same commanders, but providing a very different look at the war experience.
The film explains how war works, what it feels like and what it does to the young men who fight it. As one soldier cheers when he kills an enemy fighter, another looks into the camera and asks if God will ever forgive him for all of the killing he has done.
As one soldier grieves the loss of his friend in combat, another explains why he misses the war now that his deployment has ended, admitting he would be willing to go back to the front line.
A passion project for Junger after his colleague and friend Hetherington was tragically killed in Libya, Korengal was made independently, with Junger funding the project out of his own pocket, allowing him to truly explore a new perspective of war.
Saboteur Media will release the film on May 30 in New York and on June 13 in Los Angeles, with a national rollout to follow.
Credits:
Running time: 90 minutes
Directed bySebastian Junger.
Cinematography by Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger.
Produced by Nick Quested and Sebastian Junger.
Edited by Michael Levine.
Music by Marty Beller.
Cast
Featuring the Men Of Battle Company 2nd Of The 503rd Infantry Regiment and the 173rd Airborne Brigade Combat Team.
Interviews with:
Misha Pemble-Belkin, Dan Kearney, Lamonta Caldwell, Kyle Steiner, Sterling Jones, Joshua Mcdonough, Kevin Rice, Brendan O’Byrne, Miguel Cortez and Aron Hijar.