在这部国鸟纪录片片中,‘This is not science fiction’, says a commercial inviting young people to join the US Air Force. Indeed it is anything but a utopian vision when drones targeting humans in Afghanistan and other countries are operated from a safe distance. National Bird describes the dramatic experiences of three former Air Force analysts who have decided to break their silence about the secret deployment of these combat drones. Haunted by the realisation that they might have been responsible for the death of innocent victims, they are going public with their knowledge – regardless of the possible consequences. These three war veterans all signed up voluntarily for military service – either out of a sense of idealism, hardship or a feeling of duty. But all that changed as a result of the drone programme.
National Bird provides insights into the US drone programme as seen through the eyes of veterans and survivors whose stories are connected. At the same time the film asks whether it is possible for a world to exist other than one in which violence breeds violence. berlinale 2016
National Bird follows the dramatic journey of three whistleblowers who are determined to break the silence around one of the most controversial current affairs issues of our time: the secret U.S. drone war. At the center of the film are three U.S. military veterans. Plagued by guilt over participating in the killing of faceless people in foreign countries, they decide to speak out publicly, despite the possible consequences. Their stories take dramatic turns, leading one of the protagonists to Afghanistan where she learns about a horrendous incident. But her journey also gives hope for peace and redemption. National Bird gives rare insight into the U.S. drone program through the eyes of veterans and survivors, connecting their stories as never seen before in a documentary. Its images haunt the audience and bring a faraway issue close to home.
