Guantanamo Trap

Gunatanamo Trap
I urge everyone to support the new Bloor Hot Docs Cinema. It is revolutionary to have a theatre totally dedicated to documentaries. They have done a superb job in refurbishing the old Bloor Cinema. It has come a long way since 1913 when the original Madison Theatre was founded on this same spot.
This remarkable film strives to show 2 sides of the Guantanamo issue. I was spell bound. The director and producer were present and added much following the presentation.
We were reminded that Obama had promised to get rid of Gunatanamo Bay His promise has not been kept and for politically reasons he can’t do anything at this time before a new election. It will be fascinating to see what happens after the next election.
Diane Beaver is one interesting woman. She was a high ranking army officer at Guantanamo Bay. She speaks freely throughout the film. She claims that it was necessary to separate the prisoners and deprive them of sleep. It was her direction that authorized some of the horrific torture on the prisoners. She felt she was doing her job. It was interesting that higher officials did not sign any of the authorization so she was left holding the bag. She does pay a price for her actions and has some difficulty adjusting when she returns home but does state that she did her job because she loves her country. Her family supports her entirely and she feels she did nothing wrong. At one point she states, “How do you stop this (terrorism) if you don’t understand the enemy?”
For me the most interesting character was Morat Kuntzer, a German. At 19 he went to Pakistan and converted to Islam. He was picked up and sold to the Americans and later sent to Guantanamo. He tells of his horrific conditions. He was placed in a cage smaller than a dog cage. He was naked at times, poorly fed and given no water. The torture was totally inhumane. Lights were left on 24/7.His mother did so much in helping gain his release.
Matt Diaz was an army officer working at Guantanamo Bay. He did not like what he saw and provided a list of the prisoners to an activist in New York. As a result he lost his job and his pension. He went to jail. His marriage broke up. He lost his house,
A group of lawyers in Spain were trying to charge George Bush and Rumsfeld with war crimes. Morat Kuntzer went to Spain after he was released and gave a lot of information to this Spanish counsel. After the recent bombing in Madrid they wanted information to help them find the terrorists responsible. They have received no help from Obama.
At the end of the film we learn more about the characters and how they are currently coping.
It was very emotional and I found it fascinating to hear people speak from both sides. The director stated that he wants the audience to interpret the film as they wish. He was not attempting to spoon feed the audience. When asked a question he agreed that there was no redemption for any of the characters in the film. The film has not been accepted in the United States and this was the Canadian premiere.
It was explained that some of the prisoners will not be retuned to their home countries because they will be tortured. What an irony after the treatment many face at Guantanamo Bay. The director told the audience that one man was sleep deprived for 11 months and he was ill in every way as a result.
This is an exceptional documentary. It will make you cringe. The German Turkish director is exceptionally talented.