Wake: A different look at Iraq

For those interested in the public debate over the Iraq war and looking for a great film experience, I would suggest that you check out Andrew Lawton’s beautifully crafted film, “Wake.” (IMDB data on the film may be found here.) Technically a short, the movie comes in at around thirty minutes, but fills the screen in such a vibrant fashion that the movie seems much larger.

Rather than taking place in the dusty streets of Baghdad or amid the anti-war protests in the streets of America, Wake is set almost entirely in the home of one veteran killed in the war during the wake following his funeral. Even more unusual, the story is told entirely through the eyes of the soldier’s ten year old brother who takes his sibling’s digital camera, still full of images of the people and places he visited during the war, and documents the events of the wake. Under examination are the relationship between the young man’s mother – who vehemently opposed her son enlisting – and the recruiter who enlisted him and attends the wake, along with the severed strands of the young man’s many other relationships with friends and family. We are given a deep, sometimes painful look at the decision process which brings some people to the decision to serve their country, the sacrifice they make and the healing process which must follow their loss.

The film passes no judgment on the politics and theater surrounding the war, but leaves the viewer to draw their own conclusions while focusing on the real people who lie behind the many stories coming out of the conflict. Betty Jo Tucker and I interviewed the director back in June, and a replay of that interview is still available. Wake continues to garner well deserved critical acclaim, and will be screened this week at The Indie Memphis Film Festival.