# Battle for Haditha

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{{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            = <!-- see WP:ALT -->
| caption        = Film poster
| director       = [Nick Broomfield](/source/Nick_Broomfield)
| producer       = Nick Broomfield
| writer         = Nick Broomfield<br/>Marc Hoeferlin<br/>Anna Telford
| starring       = [Elliot Ruiz](/source/Elliot_Ruiz)<br/>Yasmine Hanani<br/>Hadiitha García Puga
| music          = [Nick Laird-Clowes](/source/Nick_Laird-Clowes)
| cinematography = Mark Wolf
| editing        = Stuart Gazzard<br/>Ash Jenkins
| studio         =
| distributor    = [HanWay Films](/source/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<br/>Arabic
| budget         =
| gross          = $245,521
}}

'''''Battle for Haditha''''' is a 2007 drama film directed by British director [Nick Broomfield](/source/Nick_Broomfield) based on the [Haditha killings](/source/Haditha_killings). Dramatising real events using a documentary style, ''Battle for Haditha'' is Broomfield's follow up to ''[Ghosts](/source/Ghosts_(2006_film)).'' The film was aired on [Channel 4](/source/Channel_4) in the UK on 17 March 2008.

==Plot==
The film is inspired by the [Haditha killings](/source/Haditha_killings) incident that occurred three months after the [Battle of Haditha](/source/Battle_of_Haditha) in the [Iraq War](/source/Iraq_War). On 19 November 2005 in [Haditha](/source/Haditha), a city in the western Iraqi province of [Al Anbar](/source/Al_Anbar_Governorate), 24 unarmed Iraqi men, women, and children were killed by a group of [United States Marines](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps) 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](/source/Jerash%2C_Jordan), the film uses former US Military personnel and Iraqi [refugee](/source/refugee)s 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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/Eric_Mehalacopoulos) as the no-nonsense Sgt Ross
* [Nathan Delacruz](/source/Nathan_Delacruz) a former United States Marine plays Cpl Marcus with his infamous comical one liners
* [Falah Flayla](/source/Falah_Flayla) as a former [Iraqi Army](/source/Iraqi_Army) officer turned insurgent
* [Thomas Hennessy Jr.](/source/Thomas_Hennessy_Jr.) as a Navy corpsman assigned to Kilo company

==Film festivals==
''Battle for Haditha'' was presented at the [Toronto Film Festival](/source/Toronto_International_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](/source/San_Sebasti%C3%A1n_International_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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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](/source/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

{{Nick Broomfield}}

{{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

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Battle for Haditha](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_for_Haditha) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_for_Haditha?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.