‘Retrograde’ Review: An essential modern documentary that Brexiteers needs to see
National Geographic Documentary Films has revealed the premiere dates for the feature documentary Retrograde, which is out on 11th November. Matthew Heineman directs a documentary that explores the final nine months of the US occupation in Afghanistan from a variety of perspectives, including the last US soldiers and Afghan forces, referencing the 20-year war for resistance and freedom in the country. This fight began back in 2001 when the USA set out on a much-debated mission to destroy the terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda, a decision which was prompted by the Taliban’s refusal to hand over Osama bin Laden.
The documentary opens with the tragic and harsh reality of Afghans today. Crowds of hysterical and desperate victims beg the armed soldiers to let them pass the borders, only to be met with wanting gunshots. We also observe the perspective of the American troops, who have built an emotional rapport with General Sadat and Afghanistan as a whole. We see their grief and despair as newly elected President Biden eventually takes them out of the land.
Shortly after, we are then left with the days and nights of the dedicated Sadat, who devotes all his energy and mind to fighting back against the totalitarian Taliban. There is no omitting or sugar-coating his pain and frustration as territories fall to the extreme Islamic Emirate and their oppressive ideals. Sadat exemplifies his love for his country and its people as he visits countless of the wounded in hospitals and assures them that freedom will come one day. However, we know this is not the case as the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan last year, completing the “endless” war and eliminating freedom. What follows is the documentary’s most heartbreaking images, as Afghans make one final attempt to flee from the fundamentalists to safer countries.
We see everything, and it’s devastating. With recent western events such as the Conservative Party winning the 2019 election based on a section of Brits so terrified of Middle Eastern migrants and an MP wrongfully citing mass migration as an “invasion”, these tragic visuals of civilians having to give up their homes for survival are even more heartbreaking.
Retrograde concludes with some insight into the selection process for Afghans to migrate to countries such as England and America. They are forced to remain in some sort of ditch with their official documents on display, frantically screaming out to troops who then choose who stays and who goes. The process is hard to watch, as families are torn apart due to numbers, and some become so desperate for freedom that they attempt to climb out of the pit only to be pushed back down.
I dare any Brexiteer to look at the tired and broken faces and hear the piercing cries of children who cannot begin to understand what is going on and vote again to stop them from gaining safety.
Retrograde fights back against such appalling views on migrants and provides clear insights. It demonstrates that they have put blood, sweat and tears into defending their country and freedom, only to be torn apart when they are forced to flee.
The documentary shows that they are not statistics or a threat, but instead, humans who have met an unideal reality and deserve protection. It presents the facts and events under a well-devised and thorough scope. Retrograde clearly understands its political points, and its emotional elements, blending the two together to create a nuanced and hard-hitting education for those unaffected.
Retrograde premiered at the 2022 Telluride Film Festival and was included on the 2022 DOC NYC Short List of awards-season contenders. It has earned a nomination for best political documentary at the 2022 Critics Choice Documentary Awards.
