Hell and Back Again (2011)

Director:

Danfung Dennis

Release Date:

5 October 2011 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Action | History | War

Plot:

What does it mean to lead men in war? What does it mean to come home? Hell and Back Again is a cinematically...

Plot Keywords:

Afghanistan | Reference To Yarmouth Port Massachusetts | Blood | Gun | Kiss

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

Nathan Harris	...	Himself (as Sgt Nathan Harris)
Ashley Harris	...	Herself
The Marines of Echo Company	...	Themselves
Christian Cabaniss	...	Himself (as Lt Col Christian Cabaniss)
Eric Meador	...	Himself (as Cot Eric Meador)
Ted Hubbard	...	Himself (as Lt Edward Hubbard)
Terry Roberts	...	Himself (as Chaplain Terry Roberts)
Doug Webb	...	Himself (as SSgt Doug Webb)
Robert Gaines	...	Himself (as Lt Cmdr Robert Gaines)
Matthew Swibe	...	Himself (as Lt Cmdr Matthew Swibe)
Chris MacDonald	...	Himself (as Sgt Chris MacDonald)

Directed by
Danfung Dennis

Produced by
Diana Barrett	....	co-executive producer: Fledging Fund
Thomas Brunner	....	executive producer
Dan Cogan	....	executive producer
Steven Cohen	....	co-executive producer
David Cumming	....	co-executive producer
Ian Darling	....	co-executive producer
Danfung Dennis	....	producer
Abigail Disney	....	co-executive producer: Fort Films
Caroleen Feeney	....	co-executive producer
Maxyne Franklin	....	co-executive producer: BritDoc Foundation
Pierre Hauser	....	co-executive producer: Fork Films
Martin Herring	....	producer
Patricia Lambrecht	....	co-executive producer
Mike Lerner	....	producer
Havana Marking	....	executive producer
Karol Martesko	....	executive producer (as Karol Martesko-Fenster)
Gernot Schaffler	....	executive producer
Juliette Timsit	....	co-executive producer

Original Music by
J. Ralph

Cinematography by
Danfung Dennis

Film Editing by
Fiona Otway

Production Management
Janet Knipe	....	production manager

Art Department
Colin Metcalf Lemon	....	art direction: Lemon (as Colin Metcalf)
Colin Metcalf Lemon	....	branding: Lemon (as Colin Metcalf)

Sound Department
Danfung Dennis	....	additional sound designer
Danfung Dennis	....	sound recordist
Arthur Pingrey	....	additional sound designer
Arthur Pingrey	....	dialogue editor
Arthur Pingrey	....	sound editor
Arthur Pingrey	....	sound re-recording mixer
J. Ralph	....	dialogue editor
J. Ralph	....	sound designer
J. Ralph	....	sound editor
J. Ralph	....	sound re-recording mixer
J. Ralph	....	supervising sound editor
Reilly Steele	....	sound re-recording mixer

Camera and Electrical Department
James Andrews	....	additional footage (as LCpl James Abdrews)
Todd Crawford	....	still photographer

Editorial Department
Stewart Griffin	....	colorist
Ben Laffin	....	digital intermediate editor
Jenny Raskin	....	editorial consultant
Jonathan Liebert	....	digital cinema mastering (uncredited)
Caitlin Tartaro	....	digital intermediate producer (uncredited)

Music Department
Brian Binsack	....	second scoring engineer
Bub Jess	....	score producer: The Rumor Mill (as Bubb Jess)
Gary Morris	....	second scoring engineer
Guy Rabinowitz	....	second scoring engineer
J. Ralph	....	music designer

Other crew
Rodney Brooks	....	accountant
Michael Donaldson	....	clearance counsel
Georgie Duncan	....	production coordinator
Mohamad Ismail	....	translator
Ahmad Fahin Nooristani	....	translator
Dana O'Keefe	....	sales agent
Karinah Turner	....	production coordinator

Thanks
Dennis J. Burrow	....	in remembrance of (as LCpl Dennis J. Burrow)
Jordan Chrobot	....	in remembrance of (as LCpl Jordan Chrobot)
Leopold F. Damas	....	in remembrance of (as LCpl Leopold F. Damas)
Bruce E. Ferrell	....	in remembrance of (as LCpl Bruce E. Ferrell)
David R. Hall	....	in remembrance of (as LCpl David R. Hall)
Jeremy S. Lasher	....	in remembrance of (as Cpl Jeremy S. Lasher)
Xhacob Latorre	....	in remembrance of (as Cpl Xhacob Latorre)
Amir Muihammad	....	in remembrance of (as Ana Amir Muhammad)
Javier Olvera	....	in remembrance of (as LCpl Javier Olvera)
Gregory A. Posey	....	in remembrance of (as LCpl Gregory A. Posey)
Patrick W. Schimmel	....	in remembrance of (as LCpl Patrick W. Schimmel)
Charles S. Sharp	....	in remembrance of (as LCpl Charles S. Sharp)
James Allen Smith	....	thanks
Reilly Steele	....	thanks
Jonathan F. Stroud	....	in remembrance of (as LCpl Jonathan F. Stroud)
Donald W. Vincent	....	in remembrance of (as Pfc Donald W. Vincent)
Nicholas G. Xiarhos	....	in remembrance of (as Cpl Nicholas G. Xiarhos)

Production Companies

• Roast Beef Productions
• Thought Engine

Distributors

• Ad Vitam Distribution (2011) (France) (theatrical)
• New Video (2011) (USA) (theatrical)
• Independent (2011) (UK) (all media)
• Madman Entertainment (2012) (Australia) (all media)
• Roco Films (2011) (Non-USA) (all media)

Other Companies

• Channel 4 Britdoc Foundation  funding
• Cinetic Media  distribution advisory services: USA
• Falco Ink.  public relations: USA
• Final Frame  post-production facilities
• Rumor Mill, The  score producer
• Theater NYC  score recording facility

Also Known As:

Runtime:

88 min

Country:

USA | UK | Afghanistan

Language:

English | Pashtu | Dari

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:R21 | Singapore:M18 (cut)

Filming Locations:

Afghanistan

Company:

Roast Beef Productions

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Despite an establishing shot of the exterior of a Walgreens pharmacy, the scene where Nathan's wife purchases his prescriptions is clearly filmed inside a CVS pharmacy, as seen on the cashier's name tag.

Soundtrack:

Hell And Back

Not to be confused with a documentary

What was the Academy thinking? Nominate this and snub The Cave Of Forgotten Dreams, Living In The Material World and Project Nim?? I am not even sure this qualifies as a documentary at all. It feels as fake as your average MTV reality show. Some vignettes about the interaction of the US forces and the afghan villagers are revealing enough, but the rest is pure manipulation. There are even moments that may provoke unintended laughs; that is what generally happens when you try to get a "dramatic performance" from non actors. I believe the whole project is a very misguided attempt at portraying the harrowing effects of war in the bodies and psyche of soldiers. It would have been much better as a biopic given the director obvious penchant for giving the facts a little extra boost though cinematic techniques more commonly associated to fiction. I hope the Oscar in this category goes to Paradise Lost: Purgatory or even to Pina.