Hot Docs 2009

Everyone has seen the notorious photos of US soldiers torturing Iraqi prisoners at the Abu Ghraib prison-now hear the justification behind those images. Moving testimonials directly from prisoners, witnesses and soldiers paint a disturbing picture of "the war on terrorism" that makes freedom look an awful lot like tyranny. Policymakers and human rights lawyers provide a thorough examination of the military doctrine that incited these heinous crimes, and the prevailing lack of accountability in the highest ranks of the US government. The Ghosts of Abu Ghraib is effectively book-ended by archival footage from Dr. Stanley Milgram's famous obedience experiment in which subjects were asked to administer electric shocks to an unseen victim as instructed by the experimenter. The willingness of the subjects to unquestioningly follow the commands of an authority raised a startling conclusion that applies as much today as it did then. What is our implication in this war as an international community? Are we willing to accept any excuse that the US government hands down, regardless of whether it complies with international laws and standards? Co-presented with CONTACT Toronto Photography Festival.