In Afghanistan Hearts & Minds = Jobs

“We can make you guys richer,” says Captain Dan Kearney to a group of bearded men in eastern Afghanistan. Yet, they remain suspicious of his and his Company B’s motives for building Restrepo, a camp overlooking the Korengal Valley. It’s known to be the most dangerous in the region. That makes it all the more riveting to watch (which I did tonight) Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington’s documentary entitled Restrepo.

Restrepo is named after a fallen soldier whom we see in a shaky home-made video in the opening. We never get to know his story, but are treated to the one about the men he fought alongside. And it is one not to be missed. Unlike many war movies or documentaries, Restrepo doesn’t glorify war, vilify the enemy or enable political purposes. It’s the dairy of men doing a job. In a most interesting scene it shows one explaining that he’d like to create jobs for the Afghans amid this mountainous terrain. No ideology. No politics. Just jobs.

Here’s a great review from the New York Times.

Here’s the trailer:

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