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Deep Dive: Hell and Back Again (2011)

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Hell and Back Again
Hell and Back Again is a documentary that follows Sergeant Nathan Harris of the United States Marine Corps as he returns home from the Afghanistan conflict. The film captures his struggles with a broken leg and post-traumatic stress disorder after participating in Operation Khanjar. Director Danfung Dennis, who had previously worked as a war photographer, spent a year with Harris and his wife to provide an intimate look at the impact of war on soldiers and their families. The documentary combines footage from the battlefield in Afghanistan with scenes from Harris's life in North Carolina. It employs flashbacks to convey the disorientation and emotional numbness experienced by veterans returning to civilian life. Dennis aimed to create an honest portrayal of war by merging the realities of combat with the challenges faced at home, emphasizing that the battle continues beyond the battlefield.

Why Watch

  • •Meet Sergeant Nathan Harris and his post-war struggles.
  • •See the impact of Operation Khanjar on soldiers.
  • •Find out how war affects life at home.

Did You Know

•Danfung Dennis shot approximately 100 hours of footage over six months.
•The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature on January 24, 2012.
•Hell and Back Again won the Grierson Award for Best Documentary on a Contemporary Theme on November 6, 2012.
•The documentary was nominated for a News & Documentary Emmy Award due to its appearance in Independent Lens.

Perfect For

Veteran experiencesDocumentary filmmakingMilitary history