Incident in New Baghdad/gallery

Ethan McCord was deployed to Iraq from Ft. Riley, Kansas in February of 2007 with the 2nd Battalion 16th Infantry. The deployment was part of President George W. Bush's "surge" strategy to deal with increasing insurgent and sectarian violence in Iraq.

The Apache helicopter attack site, shortly after the arrival of troops from the 2-16. McCord and other soldiers were instructed to take photographs of the scene--standard Army procedure to assist in recordkeeping of killed and wounded enemy.

Ethan McCord on security detail on a nearby rooftop, shortly after rescuing two wounded children on the scene. He asked to talk to mental health support the night of the incident but was ridiculed and threatened by his immediate superior officer.

Ethan McCord and daughter Mikayla in a Wichita, Kansas playground, in a scene from the film.

Photo Gallery

Behind the Scenes: Incident in New Baghdad - new profile from the Center for Investigative Reporting.

Interview with Ethan McCord and director James Spione on NPR's The Takeaway.

International Documentary Association's Katharine Relth interviews director James Spione

about the making of the film.

Recent interview with James Spione on KWCH-TV about Incident in New Baghdad.

"A compelling short documentary... delivers extremely confronting and violent images. But important images. By adding a further dimension to the famous WikiLeaks footage, James Spione has now lifted the incident from a grainy black and white video, right up to our face. We must not look away." - Dial M for Movies

"The film forces the viewer into McCord’s world, unblinkingly jumbling images of McCord holding a wounded Iraqi child as he thinks of his own son back home." Peter Van Buren, author, We Meant Well.

Beautifully written appreciation of the film and the meaning of its nomination here.

Greg Mitchell's enthusiastic response to the Oscar nomination in The Nation.

Interview with director James Spione on the Rhode Island Film Festival blog:

"Someone once said that you don't become a writer because you want to, you write because you have to. Well, that was the situation with this movie. "

http://rifilmfest.blogspot.com/2011/08/interview-with-critically-acclaimed.html

Filmmaker Magazine: "One powerful and disturbing film"

http://www.filmmakermagazine.com/news/2011/04/surveying-the-docs-at-tribeca/

ArtInfo: "A moving short... truly not worth missing."

http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/37536/lets-keep-this-brief-a-guide-/

First extensive interview with James Spione:

"Spione may indeed be a candidate for an Oscar at the upcoming Academy Awards."

http://wikileaks-movie.com/blog/2011/exclusive-filmmaker-interview-james-spione-incident-in-new-baghdad-witness-to-collateral-murder/

Tribeca Film Festival Jury: "A film that bravely explores the residual effects of experiencing trauma

in war in a truthful and fearless manner. "

http://www.tribecafilm.com/festival/features/Awards_Announced_2011_Tribeca_Film_Festival.html

Articles in Wired and The Nation before the Tribeca premiere: