April 2009 - Movie Suggestions

Our April Meeting will be on April 15th at 7pm (location and film to be determined)!  Please post suggestions for our film selection.

March 2009 - Taking Chance

Taking Chance is a profoundly moving story of one marine's struggle with his identity.  Based on a true story, this film also shows the U.S. military rituals for honoring its war casualties.  Taking Chance premiers on HBO on Saturday, February 21st at 8pm.  The real life narrative, as told by Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, can be found here. 

Actor Kevin Bacon and Lt. Col. Michael Strobl, whom Kevin plays in this film, pose for a portrait together at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival after the world-wide premier of this film on January 18, 2009.

This film has been selected for our March 2009 meeting.  Make sure to set your Tivo to HBO on Saturday, February 21st at 8pm.  Several of us were at a Sundance screening this past January and would highly recommend this film to anyone!

February 2009 - Waltz with Bashir

Waltz with Bashir is an Oscar-nominated Israeli ant-war film.  Waltz is an animated documentary written and directed by Ari Folman that looks into the horrors of the 1982 Lebanon War.  This movie won the Best Foreign Film award at the 2009 Golden Globes, was an official selection at Cannes and has been nominated for Best Foreign Film at the 2009 Academy Awards.

I won't tell you much about the film so that you can experience the full effect intended by the film-maker.  However, it is important to recount the historical background for this story.  During the 1982 Lebanon War, Bashir Gemayel, the newly appointed President of Lebanon, was assassinated (September 14, 1982).  The next day, Israeli forces occupied West Beirut, in violation of an agreement with Lebanon called the Habib Agreement.  Also, at that time the Israelis were allied with the Lebanese Christian Militia, known as the Phalangists.  The Israeli command authorized the entrance of a force of approximately 150 Phalangist fighters into the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Beirut.  They claimed that there were over 2,000 PLO terrorists hiding in the camps.  The result has become known as the Sabra and Shatila Massacre where at least 800 civilians were slaughtered by the Phalangists.  During this attack, Israeli troops surrounded the camps with tanks.  Later investigation by the Kahan Commission of Inquiry found that Ariel Sharon was indirectly responsible for failing to prevent the massacre, leading to his resignation as Israel's Defense Minister.  

Enjoy the film!  Our next meeting is Wednesday, February 18th at 7pm at Greekfest.