David O. Russell's anti-war documentary Soldiers Pay has been picked up by Cinema Libre Studio. O'Russell, the director of the critically acclaimed Three Kings (1999) and of the upcoming comedy I Heart Huckabees, had wanted Warner Bros. to distribute his 35-minute film in conjunction with the studio's rerelease of Three Kings.
But Warners, like Disney earlier this year, balked at the idea of releasing a vociferous political commentary on the Iraq war during an election year. In fact, a Warners representative referred to the project as a "personal political statement" that might, if distributed by the studio, violate U.S. election laws. Russell's documentary will not be found on the Three Kings Special Edition DVD, either, for Warners doesn't want its DVD release of a war movie to become "a polemic about war."
As a result, Soldiers Pay will soon be playing in select cities (it's already been released in the Bay Area) as the shorter end of a double bill with Robert Greenwald's documentary Uncovered: The War on Iraq. The "political doc double bill make a powerful duo," says a statement from Cinema Libre, "complimenting [sic] each other with strong arguments about the consequences of war and the lies that were told to get there."
Initially, Soldiers Pay was to focus on the stories of the Iraqi extras who worked on Three Kings. As filming progressed, Russell expanded the scope of the documentary to show the effects of war on soldiers, refugees, and the local citizenry.
"I am excited to participate in this double bill that serves the audience," says Greenwald, whose previous effort, Outfoxed, took to task Fox News' self-proclaimed "fair and balanced" reporting. Greenwald adds that "both films take you inside the government[,] speaking out about distortion of information, and David Russell's powerful personal story [explains] the toll war takes on those who have to fight it."
The Uncovered: The War on Iraq / Soldiers Pay DVD release is due in stores in October.