Battle for Haditha

{{About|the 2007 drama film about the Haditha massacre|the massacre itself|Haditha massacre|the 2005 Haditha battle|Battle of Haditha}} {{EngvarB|date=September 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}} {{Infobox film | name = Battle for Haditha | image = BattleForHaditha2007Poster.jpg | alt =  | caption = Film poster | director = Nick Broomfield | producer = Nick Broomfield | writer = Nick Broomfield Marc Hoeferlin Anna Telford | starring = Elliot Ruiz Yasmine Hanani Hadiitha García Puga | music = Nick Laird-Clowes | cinematography = Mark Wolf | editing = Stuart Gazzard Ash Jenkins | studio = | distributor = HanWay Films | released = {{Film date|2007|09||Toronto International Film Festival|ref1=<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.ctvnews.ca/movies-about-iraq-war-plentiful-at-toronto-film-festival-1.255805 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210714233130/https://www.ctvnews.ca/movies-about-iraq-war-plentiful-at-toronto-film-festival-1.255805 |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 July 2021 |title=Movies about Iraq war plentiful at Toronto film festival |date=12 September 2007}}</ref>|2008|02|04|United Kingdom}} | runtime = 93 minutes | country = United Kingdom | language = English Arabic | budget = | gross = $245,521 }}

'''''Battle for Haditha''''' is a 2007 drama film directed by British director Nick Broomfield based on the Haditha killings. Dramatising real events using a documentary style, ''Battle for Haditha'' is Broomfield's follow up to ''Ghosts.'' The film was aired on Channel 4 in the UK on 17 March 2008.

==Plot== The film is inspired by the Haditha killings incident that occurred three months after the Battle of Haditha in the Iraq War. On 19 November 2005 in Haditha, a city in the western Iraqi province of Al Anbar, 24 unarmed Iraqi men, women, and children were killed by a group of United States Marines following an incident where an I.E.D killed one Marine and seriously wounded two others. Since the release of the film, the US military controversially<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-iraq-massacre-idUSTRE80P1JA20120126 |work=Reuters |title=Iraq says to take legal action for Haditha victims |date=26 January 2012 |access-date=30 June 2017 |archive-date=8 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151008110016/http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/26/us-iraq-massacre-idUSTRE80P1JA20120126 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |first=Mark |last=Walker |title=Immunity grants may signal problems with Haditha prosecution |work=North County Times |date=20 April 2007 |url=http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2007/04/21/news/top_stories/1_02_204_20_07.txt |accessdate=26 August 2007}}</ref> dropped all charges to all Marines involved.<ref>[http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/06/04/military/ze9cdc09c13a485a08825745e0058b2c7.txt MILITARY: Haditha Marine acquitted]</ref> The names of the Marines have been changed in the film, while the Iraqi civilians retain their real names.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timeout.com/film/features/show-feature/2905/ |title=Time Out London interview with Nick Bloomfield |accessdate=18 November 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071201113001/http://www.timeout.com/film/features/show-feature/2905/ |archivedate=1 December 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Production== Shot in Jerash, Jordan, the film uses former US Military personnel and Iraqi refugees to play many of the roles.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117934755.html?categoryid=31&cs=1 |title=Variety'' review of ''Battle for Haditha |accessdate=18 November 2007 |first=Robert |last=Koehler |date=17 September 2007}}</ref> However, the film was shot in an unconventional way – it was shot sequentially enabling the cast to build their characters as the story progressed. It also used real locations, and a very small documentary style film crew. This greatly added to the feeling of reality. Actors, while working from a detailed script, and the final form of the film reflects that structure, were also able to improvise and add to the dialogue, making it their own.

==Cast== The film features: * Elliot Ruiz as Cpl Ramirez, a Marine who loses his composure after watching a friend die * Andrew McLaren as Captain Sampson, the tough company commander in Charge of Cpl Ramirez * Jase Willette as PFC Cuthbert, the young Marine whose death sets off the chain of events * Yasmine Hanani as Hiba, a young Iraqi woman stuck in the middle of the chaos * Eric Mehalacopoulos as the no-nonsense Sgt Ross * Nathan Delacruz a former United States Marine plays Cpl Marcus with his infamous comical one liners * Falah Flayla as a former Iraqi Army officer turned insurgent * Thomas Hennessy Jr. as a Navy corpsman assigned to Kilo company

==Film festivals== ''Battle for Haditha'' was presented at the Toronto Film Festival on 11 September 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tiff07.ca/filmsandschedules/filmdetails.aspx?id=707121105251293 |accessdate=18 November 2007 |title=Toronto International Film Festival schedule |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026042824/http://www.tiff07.ca/filmsandschedules/filmdetails.aspx?id=707121105251293 |archivedate=26 October 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Director Nick Broomfield won the Silver Shell award for Best Director at the San Sebastian Film Festival on 29 September 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=San Sebastian Film Festival official awards |url=http://www.sansebastianfestival.com/2007/in3/premios01.php |accessdate=18 November 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071005183136/http://sansebastianfestival.com/2007/in3/premios01.php |archivedate=5 October 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> It was also presented at the London Film Festival on 30 October 2007.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/lff/files/pdf/lff_2007_web_calendar.pdf |title=London Film Festival schedule |accessdate=18 November 2007 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705061357/http://www.bfi.org.uk/whatson/lff/files/pdf/lff_2007_web_calendar.pdf |archivedate=5 July 2008}}</ref>

==Critical reception== {{Rotten Tomatoes prose|70|6.2|33|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Battle for Haditha {{!}} Rotten Tomatoes |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/battle_for_haditha |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=www.rottentomatoes.com |language=en}}</ref> Metacritic reported the film had an average score of 65 out of 100, based on 12 reviews.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/battleforhaditha |title=Battle for Haditha (2008): Reviews |accessdate=6 May 2012 |publisher=Metacritic |archive-date=11 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100211145632/http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/battleforhaditha |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==See also== *Cinema of Jordan

==References== {{Reflist|40em}}

==External links== *{{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20071215233639/http://www.nickbroomfield.com:80/haditha.html}} *{{IMDb title|id=0870211|title=Battle for Haditha}} *{{Metacritic film|title=Battle for Haditha}} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20101202115020/http://warchronicle.com/TheyAreNotKillers/DefendOurMarines/ElliotRuizInterview_BattleForHaditha.htm Defend Our Marines] interview with Elliot Ruiz

{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle For Haditha}} Category:2007 films Category:2007 drama films Category:British war drama films Category:2007 English-language films Category:2007 Arabic-language films Category:Iraq War films Category:Iraq War in fiction Category:War films based on actual events Category:Films set in Iraq Category:Films shot in Jordan Category:Films directed by Nick Broomfield Category:Films about the United States Marine Corps Category:2007 multilingual films Category:British multilingual films Category:2007 British films Category:Jerash Category:English-language war drama films