{{Short description|2006 American documentary film}} {{about|a documentary film|the American rock band|War Tapes}} {{Infobox film | name = The War Tapes | image =The-War-Tapes.jpg | caption = Film poster | director = Deborah Scranton | producer = Robert May<br />Steve James | writer = | starring = Zack Bazzi, Michael Moriarty, Stephen Pink | music = Norman Arnold | cinematography = P.H. O'Brien<br />Peter Ciardelli | editing = Steve James<br />Leslie Simmer | distributor = | released = {{Film date|2006|04|29}} | runtime = 97 min. | language = English | budget = }} '''''The War Tapes''''' is a 2006 American war documentary film directed by Deborah Scranton. The film is the first documentary account of the 2003 invasion of Iraq to be produced by the soldiers themselves.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The War Tapes |url=https://senartfilms.com/the-war-tapes/ |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=Senart Films |language=en-US}}</ref> The film follows three New Hampshire Army National Guard soldiers before, during, and after their deployment to Iraq about a year after the invasion. Their unit was Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 172nd Infantry Regiment (Mountain), which deployed from March 2004 to February 2005.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Q&A with Steve James & Zack Bazzi {{!}} C-SPAN.org |url=https://www.c-span.org/video/?193246-1/qa-steve-james-zack-bazzi |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=www.c-span.org}}</ref>
The three soldiers with cameras featured in the film are SPC Michael Moriarty, SGT Stephen Pink, and SGT Zack Bazzi.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Norris |first=Michele |date=June 30, 2006 |title='The War Tapes': Soldiers Tell Their Own Iraq Stories |url=https://www.npr.org/2006/06/30/5524323/the-war-tapes-soldiers-tell-their-own-iraq-stories |website=NPR}}</ref> Two other soldiers, SGT Duncan Domey and SPC Brandon Wilkins, also filmed their entire deployments for the film. In all, 17 soldiers were given cameras and recorded 800 hours of tape in Iraq. Stateside interviews with the soldiers and their families made up an additional 200 hours of tape. The "cast" was narrowed to three soldiers for the final feature-length film.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2006-06-02 |title=Film sees war through soldiers' eyes |language=en-GB |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/5038172.stm |access-date=2023-10-04}}</ref> The film won the prize for Best Documentary Feature at the Tribeca Film Festival in May 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2006-07-21 |title=Documentary Brings Real Iraq War Home - CBS News |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/documentary-brings-real-iraq-war-home/ |access-date=2023-10-04 |website=www.cbsnews.com |language=en-US}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|tt0775566}} * [https://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/operation-iraqi-footage/Content?oid=2135850 Operation Iraqi Footage] at Seven Days (newspaper)
{{DEFAULTSORT:The War Tapes}} Category:2006 films Category:Documentary films about the Iraq War Category:2006 documentary films Category:Military in New Hampshire Category:Films shot in New Hampshire Category:English-language documentary films