Bayflicks.net

Coached by professional writers, American soldiers and veterans of the Iraq war tell their stories. That’s the idea behind the National Endowment for the Arts’ Operation Homecoming, and the inspiration for this haunting documentary. Much of the film consists of the usual talking heads–the veterans who are telling their stories and the skilled authors (all war veterans, themselves) who helped them. But the best moments come out of the stories themselves, read by professional actors and illustrated with news footage, dramatic recreations, and even animation. Operation Homecoming doesn’t have an axe to grind; there’s no preaching about how we should or should not be in this particular war. But the vivid sense of what it’s like there stays with you long after the credits fade.