User Reviews

I've seen many documentaries in the past, and as this one was produced by university students, it understandably had an "amateur" feel to it, although that doesn't mean that it wasn't well produced. For what it's worth, this was a well rounded documentary, and for the most part, covered what the average viewer would hope to know or want to know about what is happening in the front lines of Iraq. Personally, I felt as though there wasn't enough footage and information while the group of students was in Iraq. There was a lot of time, that I believe was wasted in the beginning of the documentary, while the group of students were preparing for their trip. Most of that time wasn't important to the overall theme that was portrayed from the documentary, and would have been best left out to leave room for more of what was happening in Iraq. I felt as though some parts of the documentary were a bit silly, (the back and forth conversation between one of the girls in the group and someone else about putting a hat on, for example), and took away from the serious and informative tone and message trying to be received by the viewer. The camera work was fine for the most part. Shots looked good, but my only concern would be the inconsistency between different parts of the documentary, when shot with a different camera, or the color was off, etc. The overall tone portrayed by the documentary was on point and as a viewer, I could feel exactly what was meant to be sent, emotionally. The music was very well chosen as well, and worked well with the visuals. There were some parts of the documentary, especially when it was windy out, where it was harder to hear people talking, although it wasn't too bad, and didn't take away from the overall experience. Including the shots of the little kids playing, learning at school, and the overall living conditions of families in Iraq definitely helped in setting the tone delivered from the documentary. As a viewer, I was definitely saddened by what I saw, and the way the content was delivered was done very well.

Overall, this was a good documentary. It was nowhere near bad, but it could have also been a lot better. It has a good balance between delivering information, and delivering an emotional response to what is happening to those in Iraq. From the point of view of a film-maker and producer, there were some things I would have done differently to maximize the amount of information that a viewer received, but that's just me, and in my opinion, it's quite subjective. From the point of view of a viewer, I definitely enjoyed watching this. My eyes were opened to the truths and horrors of what is happening in Iraq, while most of the world turns a blind eye to it.

I would definitely recommend this documentary to anybody who is interested in this topic as well as current events in our world. As I said above, #UnitedWeWin has a good balance between information and emotional connection and response. This documentary is definitely one that should be watched by many.

The genre of documentaries dictate that real life events that are often sad and tragic, driving the need for there to be a documentary in the first place. While that is not always the case, it is the general convention. The genre of war movies are even more so, as they often tell stories of turmoil, sacrifice, and tragic ends to lives before they've had a chance to be lived. So it's incredibly rare to see a documentary on the topic of war, that is uplifting and hopeful in the most meaningful of ways.

However, that's exactly what filmmaker Henrik Friis is able to accomplish with his documentary on ISIS, entitled #UnitedWeWin.

The film begins with four university aged students, making plans to visit the front lines of war torn Iraq, in an attempt to identify issues that the country faces in their war against the terrorist nation of ISIS. The film opens with Writer, Director and one of the 4 students, Friis himself, as he recounts his motivation and the inception point behind the documentary itself. It's an interesting start. Most documentary filmmakers will tell the story from an objective and disconnected perspective. So to have Friis involve himself in the project, on-camera, recounting a very personal and emotional reason behind his journey, is incredibly refreshing, and automatically invests the audiences in his journey as well.

#UnitedWeWin and its makers have a very clear objective; determine in layman's terms what the global community can do to further assist the war against terror, democracy and basic human rights that has been happening in Iraq for a decade now. The intentions are clear, and the youth involved are incredibly determined. The film shows perspectives that larger scale footage or news reports seemingly fail to depict in mainstream media.

What is most influential about the film, is seeing these young students, armed with noble ideals and good intentions, be close enough to the front lines to experience first hand the danger and threat to life that soldiers see on a daily basis. Their reactions, and re-invigoration is riveting and genuinely conveys a sense of deep hope and perseverance. It's a rare documentary that should definitely be seen by others, for whom the subject feels more like a far away thing to be dramatized by fictional movies, than anything they can personally contribute to.

"You are human; we are human! You have kids; we have kids!"

This powerful mantra sparks the beginning of #UNITEDWEWIN, a documentary born from the strength, defiance, passion and relentless hope of a group of university students who, against the advice of their families and loved ones, undertake an unpredictable, perilous journey to the front-line of ISIS's territories in Iraq.

The film begins with a cacophony of news reporters - robotic voices that grow louder and louder until they're almost unbearable to hear. Their refrain is clear – another ISIS attack, another ISIS attack, another ISIS attack. From the get-go, we know this is not going to be an easy film to watch. But this is a good thing - there is nothing easy about what the men and women on the ground are doing, or what the soldiers, the commanders, the humanitarians, or even these university students are doing. Still, the moment this uproar is interrupted by our director's impassioned voice, we know we are in the safe hands. Henrik provides his audience with an intimacy that is often lost in documentary filmmaking. The first time we meet him, he is interrupted by a call from his Mom, and we know that this film is going to be deeply personal and deeply special because we are watching someone who deeply cares. We are instantly aligned with his subjectivity, and by the time he and his team are wheels up, we are ready to follow them on their journey. They are just as nervous as we would be, their parents worry in the same way our parents would. They persist like a group of heroes, and head into the depths of a world that is swathed in terror, gunfire, and darkness. Broken glass, broken homes, and black smoke on the horizon cast a shadow of dread on their entire mission. Still, Henrik reminds us that there is hope. He introduces us to the human faces of the fight. He shows us the laughter, love, and sense of community shared by people of all different races, religions, countries, and factions, who are united in their cause. We see innocent children climb fences, play games, sing songs, because, like the filmmakers, they are not yet jaded by the reality of war. He gives us a peek into how the international community's efforts are helping while reminding us that there is so much left to be done. "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing". His message rings loud and clear, and by the end of the experience, we come away with not only more awareness, but also with an overwhelming feeling of hope. The filmmakers remind us that behind darkness, there is light. Behind gunfire, there is music. And behind death, there is life.