Redemption (2009)

A portrait of three deserters from the American army, who now live in Canada. In Redemption, they speak about their memories of the war in Iraq, a war that they all now view as senseless. "Even sitting here now, I'm smelling burning flesh," one of them says. Such memories simply refuse to go away, however much the young men would like them to. If they could, they would all like to take back their decision to join the army. They also talk about the methods used to entice soldiers to join up. And we see how they now live: disillusioned, slumped on the sofa, drinking beer and smoking joints. In their early twenties, they already seem to have lost most of their youthful energy. These deserters also feel guilty -- not about deserting, but about having taken part in the war in Iraq at all in the first place. The interviews are interspersed with footage of the war and of the homes the deserters have left behind. So why did they ever join up? Boredom, unemployment, lack of self-worth. And -- above all -- the rosy picture painted of the army's role in Iraq: "I thought I would be feeding hungry children."