'The War Tapes'

Deborah Scranton, director of "The War Tapes," was online Thursday, March 22 at 11 a.m. ET to answer questions about the award-winning documentary.

A transcript follows.

In her review of "The War Tapes," Post writer Ann Hornaday asked: "Is it too much to ask that 'The War Tapes,' a riveting, audacious new documentary about the Iraq war, be required viewing in every classroom and living room in America? Or at least the Oval Office?"

The documentary distills more than 800 hours of footage shot by three soldiers in Iraq and 200 hours of interviews with their loved ones back home. It won Best Documentary at the Tribeca Film Festival and Best International Documentary at the Britdoc Festival.

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Deborah Scranton: Hi, this is Deborah Scranton, director of "The War Tapes," thanks so much for being here today, I'll try and get to all your questions as quickly as possible and look forward to having a great chat!

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Harrisburg, Pa.: Was there a focus on the footage that was shot, i.e. what percent was shot in barracks, what percent was shot on patrol, was any shot during battle?

Deborah Scranton: Filming took place over a year and a half. Ten soldiers initially agreed to take cameras, five soldiers Steve Pink, Mike Moriarty, Zack Bazzi, Brandon Wilkins and Duncan Domey filmed the entire year. In total 21 soldiers from Charlie Company, 3rd of the 172nd Mountain Infantry filmed for the project. The soldiers themselves filmed over 800 hours of footage, we filmed and additional 200 hours stateside with both them and their families. The soldiers filmed whenever they could and felt like doing it, it was pretty across the board as far as in the barracks, on patrol and during battle.

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Washington, D.C.: Where can we see the "War Tapes"? Will it be available at Blockbuster, etc.?

Deborah Scranton: The DVD is available for sale now on our Web site thewartapes.com, and will be available at all the usual outlets later this spring.

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Winnipeg, Manitoba: Hi Deborah:

I haven't seen the documentary yet but just want to show my support for you and the soldiers who are brave and courageous enough to "get the truth out." This war has been horrendous for everyone. I feel for the soldiers and I also feel for the innocent people of Iraq. How sad this situation is, how horrific and yet George W. Bush will not admit that he's created a gargantuan mess that is killing innocent victims daily. There is no "winning" this one.

Hat's off to you! I sure hope it's aired on TV across North America, or else shown in theaters across Canada.

Deborah Scranton: Thanks for your e-mail and for caring about soldiers.

It is scheduled to air April 19th at 9 p.m. on the Military Channel and will re-run at least a few times. I'm not sure about the exact date and time for Canada, sorry.

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Gaylord, Mich.: Is this available on DVD and where do we find it? Thanks.

Deborah Scranton: The DVD is available for sale on our Web site thewartapes.com now.

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Stevens Point, Wisc.: What are the re-run possibilities?

DVD or Video available?

Deborah Scranton: The DVD is available now for purchase from our Web site thewartapes.com and will air on the Military Channel April 19th at 9 p.m.. There will be a few re-runs but we don't know the exact dates and times yet. You could check their web site for broadcast details military.discovery.com as it gets closer for the most up-to-date info.

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Washington, D.C.: Do you think the final film is pro-war? Anti-war? Neither?

Deborah Scranton: It is the first movie filmed by soldiers themselves on the front lines. We are a country at war and I think it is very important that we know what war looks like, smells like, feels like for those who are fighting in our name. That is the story I wanted to tell, to tell the experience from the inside out vs. the outside in.

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Washington, D.C.: What were the most interesting things you learned while working on the film?

Deborah Scranton: There were so many! I'll briefly share a few.

I learned that we hear terms like 360 degree battlefield but until I saw some of the first tapes that came back from Iraq, a few weeks after the soldiers arrived, I didn't really comprehend on a visceral level what it means that where ever you are -- you are the front line.

That IEDs are incredibly terrifying.

There is a disconnect going on in our country -- many do not know a soldier, when contrasted with WWII when the whole country was affected and involved, really involved. There was a warfront, a homefront -- the public across the board made some sacrifices and contribution. It isn't like that today. One of my great hopes for the film was to help bridge that disconnect between those who know a soldier and those who don't.

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DeLand, Fla.: Is there a complete version of "The War Tapes" available for purchase? So far, I have found only short trailers available.

Deborah Scranton: The DVD is available now for purchase from our Web site thewartapes.com

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Marinette, Wisc.: Thank you for producing this documentary. As I marched here in Northeast Wisconsin on Saturday, scenes from your film came to mind. I am sharing it within our small, but growing, progressive group. Will your video be seen soon on Independent Lens or other public broadcasting series?

Deborah Scranton: Thank you for taking the time to write. The War Tapes will air on the Military Channel April 19th at 9 p.m.. There will be a few re-runs but we don't know the exact dates and times yet. You could check their web site for broadcast details military.discovery.com as it gets closer for the most up-to-date info.

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Arlington, Va.: Have the soldiers and their families that you interviewed seen the film? What are their reactions?

Deborah Scranton: Yes, the soldiers and their families saw rough cuts of the film and came to our world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival last April. We've done many Q & A sessions after screenings together, and they have said that they think the film does a good job of sharing what the experience of going to war and coming home is like, and also the experience of family members left behind because we also followed a wife (Randi Moriarty), a mother (Sana Bazzi) and a girlfriend (Lindsay Coletti). They've also said if you want to know more what going to war was like, you should enlist and go yourself...

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NYC/Tribeca: I am fascinated by the idea that the film subject is in fact the film makers. I am sure there are other films that have done that. Do you know of any? And in doing this project, what were the directions to the film makers if any? Do you believe the film makers were filming/directing/producing from their own views or where they trying to capture a truth that may not reflect their own views?

Sorry for the serial questions.

Deborah Scranton: I can never ask just one question either... so, no problem.

Films constructed in the exact same way, can't think of any. Related examples could be; "Born into Brothels" in which director Zana Briski gave still cameras to children to take photos and filmed them. Kirby Dick in Chain Camera gave video cameras to high school students that they then passed around, but I don't think he worked with them in a permeable relationship.

My promise to the soldiers when we initially met down at Fort Dix before they deployed to Iraq was to tell the story, their story, through their eyes, wherever it took us no matter what. I wanted to crawl inside the experience and work with them to make sure that was what ended up in the film. Some soldiers who had cameras I had a lot of contact with over IM and e-mail, others not much.

The soldiers are pretty adamant that they were soldiers with cameras and not filmmakers. They are soldiers first and foremost, their mission was always the priority, they filmed when they could, when they felt like it. They, to my knowledge, were always trying to capture their own truths to share with you.

For me as a filmmaker, truth doesn't reside in one main narrative but rather in the juxtaposition of a multitude of contrasting ground level narratives. For me the new frontier in storytelling is the intersection where Web 2.0 meets technology meets documentary.

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Anonymous: How much time have you spent in Iraq? In your own mind, does this film make the reasons for the Iraq war clearer or more confusing?

Deborah Scranton: I didn't go to Iraq. My concept was to "virtually embed," work with the soldiers in a permeable relationship to tell the story through their eyes. It was a very conscious decision not to go, I felt it would diminish what the soldiers were doing.

This film shares the story of three soldiers whose boots were on the ground and the families they left behind. It shows the human side, you go on the journey with them.

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Fayetteville, N.C.: I don't know if this question has been asked, but is this something you think a military wife should watch while her husband is deployed? Should I wait until he is safe at home?

Deborah Scranton: Hi - thanks for writing! I know this must be a very stressful time for you, and I hope he comes home safe and sound, along with the rest of his company.

Milbloggers like Andi of Andi's World and some others on SpouseBuzz have varied in whether they watch it or not while their loved ones are away. Some have said it helps them understand what their loved one is going through/has gone through, others say they can't bear it while they're gone but have watched it after they came home to better understand and be able to talk about experiences that may have happened both for you and for him. If it helps you decide, the unit in the film were based at LSA Anaconda March 2004 - Feb 2005. I don't know what to tell you, but you could read what the wives have written at those sites and make up your mind. Take care and good luck.

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Lima, Ohio:

I'm teaching a course on the representation of PTSD in film and literature. Would your documentary be appropriate for this course?

Deborah Scranton: Thanks for writing, yes it would.

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Wash.: Do Iraqi civilians feature in this film at all?

Deborah Scranton: Not too much.

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Deborah Scranton: Thanks for your questions. For more information, or to order the DVD check out our web site thewartapes.com.

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