Retrograde

As "Retrograde" (2022 release; 96 min) opens, we are at "Kabul Airport, August 2021", and the Afghan authorities have trouble keeping a large crowd under control. We then go to "8 Months Earlier" to Camp Shorab, in rural Afghanistan. The US Commander of Special Forces emphasizes that "We're in this together". We then are introduced to an Afghan Commander named Sadat, who is one of the top guys in the Afghan military... At this point we are 10 min into the movie.

Couple of comments: this is the latest film from well-respected documentarian Matthew Heineman ("Cartel Land", "The First Wave"). Here is looks back at the 8 months leading to the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan, creating a human tragedy along the way. I was expecting that this would focus on the messy and catastrophic last few weeks (not unlike, say, that other recent documentary "Escape From Kabul"). While "Retrograde" touches on it both at the very beginning and in the last 15 min., the movie 's primary focus is in fact on how the Afghan military is anxiously preparing for the withdrawal of US troops. We all know thow that went down. But the seemingly unfettered access granted to the film makers allow for a fascinating and nuanced view, as we follow Sadat and watch the increasingly desperate atmosphere. In that sense, "Retrograde" is the perfect companion documentary to "Escape From Kabul", with very little overlap and great insight on what really happened in those final months. I think you may be surprised at what you will find...

"Retrograde" premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in early September to immediate critical acclaim. There is good reason why it currently is rated 93% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. The movie started streaming on Hulu a few days ago, where I caught it. If you have any interest in geo-political events or particularly in Afghanistan, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

This documentary lead to the torture and murder of one of the mine clearers by the Taliban because they didn't hide his identity despite being warned 5 times.

The Director Matthew Heineman and Producer Caitlin McNally need some good legal action or prison time. They could've easily avoided this by physically obscuring their identity with maybe even a head scarf, or in post production just let the bloody editor blur their faces. Of course none were done for personal gain.

The Director Matthew Heineman and Producer Caitlin McNally should lose their emmy and be blacklisted from any production company having violated confidentiality of those they were filming and endangering their lives in spite of protests from those they filmed. They didn't care about the safety of those they filmed and have gotten one known person killed and possibly more for the sake of their project.

The director ignored advice and showed faces of Afghans who worked with Americans and got at least one person killed by the Taliban so far. Others shown in the film are in hiding. Search to read newspaper reports about it and spread the news. The director should have their Emmy rescinded and should donate all profits to the victims. This was easily avoidable and would not have hurt the film. The decision to not protect people shown in the film when the danger was well-known and the director was warned by people in a position to know who saw the film before it was released is reprehensible. Shame.

These heroes' faces were not blurred by the producers. And so, the Taliban is using this as an actual Hit List, and executing these abandoned individuals. SAD!

The film takes a turn when the US decides to pull out of the conflict. We see the rushed retrograde of the US Military and its effect on the moral and logistics of the Afghan Army. The rest of the film follows General Sadat as he tries to keep a brave face and keep his men fighting. Unfortunately, renewed Taliban attacks after the Americans leave are too much for the nascent democracy to handle. The humanitarian disaster that follows is heartbreakingly EXACERBATED by this film. SHAME on you all, editors, producers, and distributors!

Because they didn't hide the identities of the Afghans they interviewed, those people are on the Taliban's target list and Justin B. Has already been murdered.

They were warned by U. S. military personnel not to do closeup shots of these people. Now they don't remember being warned. They are still defending their decision to openly show these people on camera, without a scintilla of remorse. They need to spend their own money to get those people out.

Because they didn't hide the identities of the Afghans they interviewed, those people are on the Taliban's target list and Justin B. Has already been murdered.

They were warned by U. S. military personnel not to do closeup shots of these people. Now they don't remember being warned. They are still defending their decision to openly show these people on camera, without a scintilla of remorse. They need to spend their own money to get those people out.