Watch The Road to Guantanamo

The Road to Guantanamo is a British docudrama from 2006, directed by Michael Winterbottom and Mat Whitecross. It tells the story of three British Muslims - Ruhel Ahmed, Asif Iqbal, and Shafiq Rasul - who were captured by the US military in Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks and were held in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp for over two years.

The movie starts with the three men leaving their homes in Tipton, England to attend a wedding in Pakistan. However, due to a series of events, they end up traveling to Afghanistan, where they are captured by the Northern Alliance, who believe they are terrorists. The trio is then handed over to the American military, who transport them to Guantanamo Bay.

The movie is told through a mix of interviews, archival footage, and dramatizations. The filmmakers interviewed the real-life Ruhel, Asif, and Shafiq to get their side of the story and then cast actors to reenact their experiences in Guantanamo.

The conditions the three men face in Guantanamo are brutal, with frequent beatings, torture, and inhumane treatment. The film does not shy away from showing the horrors of the camp, including the use of sensory deprivation, stress positions, and waterboarding.

Throughout the movie, the three men maintain their innocence, and the filmmakers use flashbacks to show their journey and how they became caught up in the war on terror. The film raises questions about the treatment of detainees in Guantanamo, the use of torture, and the vast powers granted to the military in the wake of 9/11.

The Road to Guantanamo is a powerful and shocking indictment of the treatment of detainees in Guantanamo Bay. The film is unflinching in its portrayal of the violence and degradation experienced by the three men, and it raises important questions about human rights, justice, and the excesses of the War on Terror.

The performances by the actors are convincing and emotional, and they effectively convey the terror and confusion experienced by the characters. Riz Ahmed, in particular, gives a standout performance as Shafiq Rasul.

The film received mixed reviews upon its release, with some critics praising it for its bravery and honesty, while others criticized it for being too one-sided and for not presenting a balanced view of the events. However, its impact cannot be denied, and it remains a powerful and important film that sheds light on an often-overlooked aspect of the War on Terror.

The Road to Guantanamo is a 2006 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 35 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.4 and a MetaScore of 64.