Of Men and War (French: Des hommes et de la guerre) is a 2014 documentary film by Laurent Bécue-Renard. It explores the psychological legacy of war on a group of American veterans returning from conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. The men are undergoing trauma therapy at The Pathway Home, a residential treatment program on the grounds of the Veterans Home in Yountville, CA until 2018.[1][2] Over the course of five years, they participate in group therapy and one-on-one sessions and gradually transform their trauma into narratives of survival before returning home to their wives, children, and parents.[3] The film premiered in the Special Screenings section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.[4] The film won the VPRO IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary at the 2014 International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam.[5] It received a European Film Award for Best Documentary nomination at the 27th European Film Awards and screened at the Museum of Modern Art's Documentary Fortnight.[6][7]
| Of Men and War | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Laurent Bécue-Renard |
| Written by | Laurent Bécue-Renard |
| Produced by | Laurent Bécue-Renard Isidore Bethel Heinz Dill Elisabeth Garbar Thierry Garrel |
| Cinematography | Camille Cottagnoud |
| Edited by | Isidore Bethel Charlotte Boigeol Sophie Brunet |
| Music by | Kudsi Erguner |
Production companies | Alice Films Télévision Suisse Romande |
| Distributed by | Why Not Productions Alice Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 142 minutes |
| Countries | France Switzerland |
| Language | English |
The Pathway Home suspended its operations indefinitely and placed its patients in other programs after a gunman killed three staff members in a 2018 murder-suicide.[8][9]
Production
editThe film was a coproduction between Alice Films in France and Louise Productions in Switzerland. The film had three editors, who worked on the film for years: Isidore Bethel (also associate producer), Sophie Brunet, and Charlotte Boigeol.[10] It exists in four versions: the original 142-minute festival and French theatrical cut,[11][12] a 96-minute cut for Kino Lorber's United States release of the film,[13] a 90-minute version for POV's US broadcast of the film,[14] and a 102-minute cut for its French broadcast on France 2.[15]
Reception
editUpon its world premiere, Of Men and War received glowing industry praise. The Hollywood Reporter called it "a rather unforgettable experience"[16] and Variety wrote that "Laurent Becue-Renard's rigorous war-trauma documentary provides vital testimony."[17] The film won the Cinematic Nonfiction Grand Jury Prize at the Little Rock Film Festival[18] and Special Recognition at the San Francisco International Film Festival, where the jury noted "Of Men and War makes us understand the horrors of war without ever showing us a single frame of battle, offering access to interior psychologies most viewers have never seen before in a tightly structured, beautifully edited, minimalist piece of nonfiction."[19] From there, it had theatrical releases in France and the United States and received overwhelming critical praise, including a score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.[20] The film is a New York Times Critic's Pick.[21]
References
edit- ^ Yune, Howard (26 May 2016). "Film showcasing Pathway Home veterans runs on TV on Memorial Day". Napa Valley Register. Napa, CA: Lee Enterprises. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
- ^ Poole, Robert M. (September 2010). "The Pathway Home Makes Inroads in Treating PTSD". Smithsonian Magazine. Washington, DC: Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
- ^ ""Addressing Their Wounds is a Revolution": Laurent Bécue-Renard on Of Men and War". Filmmaker. 4 May 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "Of Men and War". Festival de Cannes. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
- ^ "28 November: Of Men and War wins VPRO IDFA Award for Best Feature-Length Documentary IDFA". International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
- ^ "'Ida,' 'Leviathan' Top European Film Awards Nominations". Variety. 8 November 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
- ^ "Of Men and War". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 25 February 2015.
- ^ "Yountville's Pathway Home closing indefinitely following fatal shootings". Napa Valley Register. Napa, CA: Lee Enterprises. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
- ^ Warren, Christi (17 April 2018). "Slow recovery underway at Yountville veterans campus after deadly shooting". The Press Democrat. Santa Rosa, CA: Sonoma Media Investments, LLC. Retrieved 21 May 2018.
- ^ "A Grammar of Pain". Harvard Magazine. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "'Of Men and War' ('Des hommes et de la guerre'): Cannes Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 20 May 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "OF MEN AND WAR [Des hommes et de la guerre]". Why Not Productions. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "Review: Soul-wounded warriors share their pain in the profane documentary 'Of Men and War'". The Los Angeles Times. 13 November 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "Of Men and War". POV. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "25 nuances de doc, Of Men and War". France 2. 10 June 2020. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "'Of Men and War' ('Des hommes et de la guerre'): Cannes Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 20 May 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "Cannes Film Review: 'Of Men and War'". Variety. 23 May 2014. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "The winners of the 2015 Little Rock Film Festival". Arkansas Times. 17 May 2015. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "SFIFF58 Golden Gate & Audience Award Winners". San Francisco International Film Festival. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ "Of Men and War". Museum of Modern Art. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
- ^ Catsoulis, Jeannette (6 November 2015). "Review: 'Of Men and War' Chronicles the Trauma of Combat Veterans". The New York Times. Retrieved 3 May 2021.