The List (2012) Tribeca 2012

On this Memorial Day when we remember the soldiers who fought and died for this country, I'm going to talk about the men and women who helped the soldiers in Iraq. Sadly they have been more or less forgotten. These are the men and women who helped our soldiers after the fall of Saddam Hussein which was something that rapidly became very dangerous as anti US forces sought to stop them. The mere act of helping us to try and improve their country put them on a death list. Even now their lives are in such great danger that they need to leave their country ASAP or else some crazed extremists will kill them.

The List is the story of Kirk Johnson who was hired by the US government to help rebuild Iraq. He was hired because he was a body and willing to go to the war ravaged country. The people who hired him were completely unaware that he knew Arabic., They also didn't care that he had a great deal of compassion that made him go out and do things that helped him win the hearts and minds of the Iraqis he came in contact with. When his friends started to get death threats he began to see what he could do to help them. Since he was one of the few people who was actually trying to help get people to safety he was contacted by more and more people desperate to get out of Iraq before the hit squads killed them and their families.

This is a solid look at a man who trying to do the right thing by helping those who helped the US. The List is a film that will move you. It's the story of a man who is doing the decent thing when no one else will. It's a film that will infuriate you as we see the emails between officials which express shock at the death threats in passing, but which are really more concerned with how the beaches are. You won't believe how the country won't let these people into the country but will give them high security clearance and access to our secrets. It's just damn wrong.

This is a story you need to hear. Its a movie you need to see...Actually what we need to do is help the people who helped us and if you want a reason see this film.

This was one of the better films at Tribeca.