A soldier dealing with the painful consequences of war finds coming home isn't much of a consolation in this documentary. Filmmaker Danfung Dennis was embedded with a Marine platoon fighting in Afghanistan in 2009, where violence and street skirmishes could break out at any time. One of the soldiers Dennis followed was Nathan Harris, who was shot in the hip shortly before he was due to return home. Recuperating from a badly injured leg, Nathan soon found himself at home, being looked after by his wife, Ashley Harris, and struggling with boredom and feelings of powerlessness after months on edge. As his marriage begins to buckle and he becomes increasingly reliant on pain medication, Nathan is subject to severe mood swings and openly states he wishes he were back in Afghanistan, where at the very least he was in control of his circumstances and not dependent on others. Director Dennis offers a telling portrait of the horrors of the battlefield as well as the uncomfortable quiet of the home front. Hell and Back Again was an official selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
Product Description2012 Academy Award Nominee, Best Documentary Feature. Winner, 2011 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize and Cinematography Prize. In 2009, U.S. Marines launched a major helicopter assault on a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan. Within hours of being dropped deep behind enemy lines, 25-year-old Sergeant Nathan Harris s unit is attacked from all sides.Embedded in Echo Company during the assault, photojournalist and filmmaker Danfung Dennis captures the frontline action with visceral immediacy. When Sergeant Harris returns home to North Carolina after a life-threatening injury in battle, the film evolves from stunning war reportage to the story of one man s personal apocalypse. With the love and support of his wife, Ashley, Harris struggles to overcome the difficulties of transitioning back to civilian life. The two realities seamlessly intertwine to communicate both the extraordinary drama of war and, for a generation of soldiers, the no-less-difficult experience of returning home. An unprecedented exploration of the moving image and a film of uncommon intimacy, HELL AND BACK AGAIN comes full circle as it lays bare the true cost of war.Special Features
In 2009, U.S. Marines launched a major helicopter assault on a Taliban stronghold in southern Afghanistan. Within hours of being dropped deep behind enemy lines, 25-year-old Sergeant Nathan Harriss unit is attacked from all sides. Embedded in Echo Company during the assault, photojournalist and filmmaker Danfung Dennis captures the frontline action with visceral immediacy. When Sergeant Harris returns home to North Carolina after a life-threatening injury in battle, the film evolves from stunning war reportage to the story of one mans personal apocalypse. With the love and support of his wife, Ashley, Harris struggles to overcome the difficulties of transitioning back to civilian life. Format: Blu-Ray Rating: Not Rated Genre: Documentary Year: 2010 Release Date: 2012-01-24 Studio: New Video Group Director: Danfung Dennis Star 1: Nathan Harris
