WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
The unforgiving harshness of war. Throughout history, it would more than hold up to say that conflict as a whole is a merciless , relentless force of unmitigated destruction, negatively impacting so many lives, even if the originating cause of said hostilities COULD at least SEEM justified in the name of national or world security and freedom. But take a deeper look, and the even more unfortunate, darker truths of what acts are associated with pursuing these agendas can showcase a magnitude of lasting suffering with no resolution, much less closure. When this kind of abuse is uncovered, what does it say about us AS people, AS a nation, AS a world we are supposed to share together? Afghan-born journalist Lynzy Billing is on her own mission–to discover who exactly was responsible for the murder of her family 30 years ago. What she uncovers exposes more than she, or perhaps ANYONE, would have thought–a clandestine program back by the U.S. which forever devastated lives of those who shouldn’t be targets during combat–civilians.
Next, my Mind:
Nothing should hit home harder than reality, which should in turn be tempered and molded by and around the one facet OF it all that needs to be in place–the TRUTH. While we all have our moments of sometimes making things real or true by our own personal definitions of them, the actual FACTS speak louder, stronger, and definitively more compellingly than any manufactured veracity. It is precisely THIS kind of smack-you-the-the-face journey that propels this 16-minute animated/live action hybrid documentary/biographical short film from director/producer/editor/animator Mauricio Rodriguez-Pons, director/producer Almudena Toral, producer/narrator Lynzy Billing, and executive producers Stephen Engelberg and Tracy Weber launching its World Premiere in-person screening at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival on June 10th followed by additional showings June 11th and 17th and then streaming online through the Festival site June 19th-July 2nd. Folks, take a look, because whether you wish to know about it or not, this IS real.
Conveyed via the personal accounts brought to sobering, vivid, undeniably jarring and wholly heartbreaking light by Billing whose life as a child was severely upended by the nightmare of not just war itself, but the mentally and physically taxing actuality of a tactic utilized by armed forces known as the night raid, the film is a blunt force study in just how shady, flawed, and traumatic this type of operation can be. Not only did she lose several of her own family to this, having to witness it first hand, but upon looking into the matter thirty years after it happened in a desperate and driven bid to establish those responsible and perhaps discover SOME level of peace about it all, ends up finding out that this exact same strategy was not only being used freely, but with impunity—-and against HUNDREDS of civilian “targets” supposedly singled out as being involved with or in terrorist operations.
Spending years investigating these clandestine campaigns and additional months making strides to see if she could successfully locate ANY members of the so-called “Zero Units” tasked with carrying out these raids in order to directly gain the perspective of what it was to be an Afghan special forces soldier, backed by the U.S., to participate in these actions. Billing was able to see this come about, and while the names and voices were of course changed for the safety of these two brave souls, it doesn’t lessen the impact of their testimony and the degrees of remorse expressed, even one reveals why he even joined up for the missions despite them being carried out against his own innocent countrymen. It is more than a persuasive argument and now completely verifiable attestation of the notion “blood on your hands”, which only makes the statements delivered all the more saddening and also maddening when having to acknowledge the underlying but foundational element that’s MISSING from the atrocities committed–ACCOUNTABILITY.
I am more than a solidly patriotic American, born and raised, and assuredly relish the freedoms we still maintain here. But this is one of those instances when I listen to someone so eloquently and through provable study illustrate what our own government agencies, primarily the CIA, and members of our military were so deeply involved in manifesting these raids based on what has now been uncovered as utterly false or seriously untested intelligence that ended up costing the lives of so many who were entirely blameless is just damning to learn about, upsetting to imbibe, and simply flat-out difficult to stomach when it means so MUCH, if not ALL, of what transpired COULD have been AVOIDED if things were more carefully corroborated or substantiated FIRST before the Zero Units were sent in to supposedly “clean out” terrorist segments that now were shown to be anything BUT. Honestly, this isn’t remotely, in my opinion, ANY form of “anti-American” film–it’s the ugly, real-life reveal we must face up to as people and as a nation, ideally hoping that one day, those who permitted these kind of gross oversights WILL be somehow held liable, as the magnitude felt towards Billing’s plight is tangible and far-reaching here.
What does provide us as the viewer with at least a LITTLE sense of release from the weight of what Billing shares is a finale to the story that is at least SOMEWHAT relieving as to the journey she has been on and continues to chase to this day, mainly thanks to aforementioned factors above which will come out when you watch the film. The visual approach here, mainly through animation (similar in grander terms to another Tribeca offering, “American Sikh“), reminded this critic of how much this choice somehow ADDS to the potency of what’s being depicted, infusing the project with a palpable, innate strength of intent, driving home points it makes with a punch you are unlikely to, or frankly shouldn’t, forget about even after the film is over. Additionally, the music score from Milad Yousufi likewise melds and moves with the imagery seamlessly, another layer of stirringly atmospheric ambiance that carries both calm but also an ominous eeriness given the film’s topic.
Billing’s quietly authoritative narration throughout the film resonates within you as well, as you truly feel like the lasting pain and harrowing road she’s had to travel from childhood to now echoes through her voice, causing you to remain at attention and glued to every aspect of her verbal exposition while absorbing the animated sequences passing by your eyes. It’s that stalwart dedication, despite the painful memories, unearthed certainties, and those things yet to be found, that rings through her as we listen and I give her all the credit in the world for being willing to even discuss her own life like this much less be candid as to what she’s pursued, unveiled, and keeps searching for. So, in total, “The Night Doctrine” is a journalistic odyssey into the maw of war, it’s dirty secrets, what it is to have experienced the damages done, confront existing cover-ups and misinformation that took lives, find the means to bring them out of hiding, and at minimum make a plea for FAR more awareness to be raised so that these types of circumstances will NOT be repeated and MAYBE the broken hearts of families affected might finally know solace.
As always this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
