Outside the Wire
This was the official website for the 2015 Afghanistan documentary film, Outside the Wire, produced and directed by Meg Prior. Content is from the site's archived pages.
Go to the film's Facebook page to learn more about this extraordinary documentary and Meg Prior – Producer/Director/Writer
https://www.facebook.com/OutsidetheWiretheMovie/​
Outside the Wire presents the most comprehensive contemporary visual capture of the changing character of war in the early 21st century.
Outside the Wire neither pursues nor neglects the hard realities, jarring paradoxes, and sometimes conflicting objectives of war. Footage shows both the kinetic edge of war-fighting and the realities of a complex counterinsurgency mission in support of a vulnerable country and populous ravaged by years of relentless conflict.
This collection illuminates the visceral realities of battle-zone and the day-to-day life of Soldiers and Afghans as they combat an unidentifiable enemy. It chronicles Afghans in their fight for survival and effort to regain control of their country, meeting with gradual, but tenuous, successes.
The exhibit invites one on an emotive trek: to uncomfortable places and unlikely moments that reveals what war looks like across the spectrum of engagement: high value targets, humanitarian, or combat missions. It shows what Soldiers actually do while deployed on missions and it depicts what is seldom shared with the public, yet is commonplace down range, thus increasing the fluency between civilians and the military.
Outside the Wire offers an unfiltered lens. It continues the dialogue about the role of the documentarian embedded in a contemporary war zone, and the historic footage-of-record captured.
The Filmmakers
MEG PRIOR: Producer & Director
Scholars and soldiers told me that war has an enduring nature, one that has not changed for centuries: that it is a contest of wills, is violent and uncertain; an extension of policy with a dominating political dimension. However, though the nature of war remains unchanged, the character of war constantly evolves. I desired to know what the latest evolutions of warfare looked like, and how this impacted our military. I wrestled with tough questions: how are our policy decisions playing out on the ground overseas? How is victory defined? What would be considered defeat?
The rationing of information about today's conflicts bothered me greatly. Much of what my fellow citizens and I have been presented with are brief news reports devoid of context, war drama reality television shows of limited scope, or films recounting embattled troops in valley outposts—compelling and valorous aspects of the conflict, without question, but a more linear perspective of what are incredibly complex operations. What else was going on before and after these battles? I needed to know more.
The film becomes increasingly pertinent in the context of the current situation in Iraq (rise of ISIL; poor performance of Iraqi security forces) and a pressing U.S. timeline to reduce forces in Afghanistan. Is Afghanistan destined for a similar fate?
As a citizen, I wondered how policies such as "deny a safe haven for terrorists," "forge a lasting peace," and "manage conflicts that threaten our interests" are actually implemented, and experienced by all affected parties. What do young Americans do to turn these words into reality?
The Department of Defense approved a production assistance agreement authorizing me to embed with ground combat units and other services to produce a documentary film and photo exhibit about the military efforts in Afghanistan, from Fall of 2010 to the end of Operation Enduring Freedom in December 2014. Over the course of nearly five years, I have spent more than a year embedded with U.S. Army units in Afghanistan, documenting over 250 combat missions. The remarkable footage that resulted ranges from kill capture missions to mounted and dismounted patrols, air assaults and operations that result in kinetic contact, to humanitarian aid and civil affairs efforts. I have been there, done it, and have numerous t-shirts!
Though threats of terrorism against the United States long predate 9-11, U.S. national security policy has shifted its focus to countering terrorism in the post 9-11 world. Virtually all elements of national power have been leveraged to develop counter terrorism strategy, and drive its implementation. These policy decisions subsequently sent U.S. armed forces into harm's way in both Iraq and Afghanistan theaters.
I watched all this as a concerned citizen. I, like the majority of the American public, had little contact with the military. My preconceived notions of the realities of war were loosely drawn from academic sources, movies, and documentaries. My context was primarily derived from history and popular culture. But did these sources accurately portray the reality of these current conflicts?
Outside the Wire is less a stereotypical war film, and more a journey of understanding. Many questions were answered; important new ones were raised. Along this journey I met incredible people who volunteer to descend into violent, chaotic, and complex environments for me; for us. I completed the journey with a better awareness of them, of what we ask them to do, and the nature of the conflicts we find ourselves with increasing frequency ensnared.
TONY CUCOLO: Major General, U.S. Army (Retired)
Executive Producer & Military Technical Advisor
When I saw a rough cut of Meg Prior's work while I was at the War College 2012, I immediately knew it held great value and potential to educate and inform the public on the changed character of war in the 21st century and what it is like to be on the whip's end of national security policy. I believe this film does that, as well as give the public the most extensive, engaging, and in-depth view of the people who are currently serving our nation.
It has been an honor to be associated with this project.
I have served at the tactical, operational and strategic level during my 35 years as a Soldier. A combination of my experiences in operations in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Iraq, lessons from my four tours in the Pentagon, and service leading the U.S. Army War College made me both a student and a practitioner of the difficult task of linking policy and strategy to actions on the ground. Over the past decade I have had the opportunity to speak on this topic and attempt to explain the "why" of past and current operations to an extremely wide variety of audiences—from concerned citizens to the intellectual elite.
Each time I stood in front of a group and tried to describe just what it is young Americans do on the ground to make policy successful, I knew I fell short. I secretly wished the impossible wish of transporting the population of the United States to the battlegrounds of Iraq and Afghanistan so they could see their military and their diplomats in action, see the abject poverty, oppression, violence and destruction we sought to abate, and get a feel for the immense complexity of these environments.
And, thus far, 21st Century warfare is certainly proving to be incredibly complex. For the foreseeable future, war will continue to be waged among the world's populations. It is carried out by adaptable, cunning, and often well-resourced enemies who employ all means at their disposal, from crime and terror to the latest conventional weaponry and cyber operations. They ignore all rules of international order and they ignore all aspects of the law of armed conflict—in fact, they ignore humanity. Success against enemies such as these requires professional, ethical and truly enlightened warriors and diplomats—and constant communication of clear, adaptive policy goals for them to translate into actions on the ground.
I knew if my fellow countrymen could gain a better understanding of the grass roots realities of policy in execution, somehow see examples of it for themselves, I was certain they would take a greater interest in—and seek to be more informed—about the policy decisions sending Americans into harm's way.
SIOBHAN PRIOR: Editor
Siobhan Prior is a native Californian, born and raised in Los Angeles. She is a third generational vet in the film industry, following in her father’s and grandfather footsteps. Her grandfather, Peck Prior Sr., began his career as a commercial producer, and ultimately finished his career as the President of Technicolor. Under the steady tutelage of her father, acclaimed film editor Peck Prior, Siobhan quickly gained the knowledge, training and creative tools necessary in the art of editing and visual story.
Siobhan’s skill set is expansive, ranging from physical production, to managing dailies, to film-outs and digital outputs for theatrical release – her editorial sensibilities have been sculpted by the finest editors in Hollywood. Her career seamlessly spanned the 35mm to digital revolution, working in the VFX departments on films such as “Pleasantville”, “Disaster Movie”, and Sky Captain, World of Tomorrow”
After 10 years working on large scale feature films, Siobhan took her talents to Bandito Brothers – a full service independent media studio. In addition to editing commercials projects, she was given the opportunity to be an Additional Editor, VFX Supervisor and Co-Post Production Supervisor on the film “Act of Valor”. The movie was revolutionary in many ways, one of the most radical was that it was the first film that combined DSLR and 35mm film in a feature environment. The film opened #1 at the Box Office, and changed the way mainstream Hollywood approached feature film making, helping to solidify Siobhan’s standing as an innovator in the world of filmmaking and digital media.
Applying her background with “Act of Valor” (involving real Navy SEALs and accessed actual military assets), she joined her step-mother Meg Prior as an Editor and Post Producer on “Outside the Wire”, a documentary film about Meg’s civilian deployment to Afghanistan with the 101st Airborne Division of the U.S. Army.
Personal note: She is a huge fan of super hero films, especially the Batman films (even has the full collection of the original Batman tv series). This explains why she is often seen wearing a classic Batman t shirt, sweatshirt, or hoodie, and she happily reveals her source as moonatmidnight.com. She claims to have been inspired to enter her career by her passion for the stories of the dark knight and her family's connection to the armed services.
JESSICA BRUCKERT: Project Manager
Jessica Bruckert studies Peace, War, and Defense and Anthropology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She previously worked as a Department of Defense civilian with the U.S. Army Special Operations Command and Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg, NC. There, she endeavored to improve the relationship between the military and knowledge capital communities in the private sector and academia. While accompanying the 98th Civil Affairs Battalion on a pre-deployment MRX at Ft. A.P. Hill in VA in 2011, she was delighted to learn vegetarian MRE's do in fact exist, then promptly burned herself attempting to "cook" one. Jessica traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan in the summer of 2012. While down range, she collaborated with NATO, U.N. and Embassy representatives to support U.S. efforts at combating transnational organized crime in Afghanistan. Engagements outside the wire included interfacing with senior Afghan Government Officials, Afghan Parliamentary members, and Afghan military and civilians at the Ministries of Interior and Defense. Jessica drafted communications for NATO/ISAF leadership and aided in the implementation of counter corruption measures. At Carolina, Jessica studies ways to improve operational efficiencies the military and reduce incongruities between strategic and tactical levels of warfighting. She is interested in supporting an open dialogue between civilians and veterans.
Jessica joined the OTW team to foster connections between Meg's material and external stakeholders. She leads development and outreach activities for the team.
Personal statement: What I find particularly compelling about Meg's material is that, unlike most contemporary journalists or film makers, her coverage spans the spectrum of operations: high value, kill and capture, humanitarian aid, governance, reconstruction, female engagement teams - in a way that can only be achieved over time and extensive travel in-country. 5% of war is kinetic - fire fights and blowing stuff up - but Meg's coverage also reveals the 95% that is incredibly constructive in helping to advance the infrastructure, education and reconstruction of a bruised society. These stories are compelling in their own singular way. Meg's work does not shy away from hard-hitting questions: Why do we go to war? How do we define success? Who is the enemy, and what is the visceral reality of engaging with him? Meg's work encourages viewers to validate or challenge existing positions about the Afghan war. She helps us to understand the topography of conflict absent an agenda about it, in an entirely apolitical way. Her work doesn't hesitate to entertain juxtapositions: the tedium and adrenaline of war, moments of vulnerability and bravery - often intertwined - through a raw and compelling visual narrative.
MEG PRIOR
MEG PRIOR is a seasoned conflict photographer, videographer and filmmaker.
In her diverse and poignant catalog of work, we see Soldiers, unlikely emissaries, become the face of the diplomatic effort of this war; U.S. servicewomen on the front lines, engaging in firefights, a moment of raw emotional honesty exchanged between an American Soldier and an Afghan woman, and a spectrum of military combat operations.
Prior desired to gain perspective about the war in Afghanistan, the Afghan people, and what our nation's men and women experience in theatre as the implementers of a complex policy developed stateside. Prior bore witness to over 250 missions in some of the most contested areas of operation on our planet, capturing through her lens the nuances of contemporary warfare in a gripping and powerful testimony.
Over five deployments with the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division, the "Screaming Eagles", and multiple infantry divisions - 82nd Airborne, 10th Mountain, 3rd Infantry Division - in addition to other U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine, U.S. Navy, U.S. National Guard, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Reserve units - she documented missions conducted during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan from 2010 to 2014, spending over a year sum in a forward deployed environment.
Prior utilizes a suite of multimedia instruments, including night vision photography and video.
More Background on OutsideTheWireTheMovie.com
Outside the Wire is a multifaceted title that has gained recognition in various contexts, primarily as a documentary film and as a Netflix science fiction action film. This article will delve into both iterations, providing a comprehensive overview of their significance, reception, and cultural impact.
Background and History
Documentary Film
The documentary Outside the Wire, directed by Meg Prior, was released in 2015. It provides an in-depth look at the realities of war in Afghanistan through the lens of U.S. soldiers and Afghan civilians. Over five years, Prior embedded with U.S. Army units, capturing over 250 combat missions and humanitarian efforts during Operation Enduring Freedom (2010-2014). The documentary aims to bridge the gap between military personnel and civilians by presenting an unfiltered view of the complexities of modern warfare, highlighting not just combat but also the day-to-day lives of those involved. The film's narrative focuses on the evolving nature of warfare, emphasizing that while the essence of war remains unchanged—violent and uncertain—the character of war is continuously evolving due to technological advancements and shifting geopolitical landscapes. It raises critical questions about the nature of victory and defeat in contemporary conflicts, challenging viewers to reconsider their perceptions of military engagements.
Netflix Film
In contrast, Outside the Wire, released on Netflix in January 2021, is a fictional action thriller directed by Mikael Håfström. The film stars Anthony Mackie as Captain Leo, an advanced android officer, and Damson Idris as Lt. Thomas Harp, a drone pilot. Set in a war-torn Eastern Europe amidst a civil conflict involving pro-Russian insurgents, the plot revolves around Harp being assigned to work with Leo on a mission to prevent a nuclear catastrophe.
Reception and Reviews
Documentary Film Reception
The documentary received praise for its authentic portrayal of military life and its ability to convey the emotional weight of war. Critics highlighted its commitment to presenting both sides of the conflict—showing not only the military operations but also the struggles faced by Afghan civilians. By doing so, it contributes significantly to public understanding of military operations and their implications for local populations.
Netflix Film Reception
Conversely, the Netflix film has garnered mixed reviews from audiences and critics alike. While some praised its action sequences and visual effects, others criticized it for lacking depth in character development and narrative coherence. The film's exploration of themes such as morality in warfare and the consequences of drone strikes was noted but often overshadowed by its reliance on action tropes.
- Positive Reviews: Some reviewers appreciated Mackie's performance and the film's engaging action scenes. They found it entertaining despite its flaws.
- Negative Reviews: Critics pointed out that while it attempted to tackle serious themes about modern warfare and ethics, it ultimately fell into familiar clichés typical of action films. Many felt that it failed to deliver a compelling narrative or meaningful commentary on its subject matter.
Cultural and Social Significance
Both versions of Outside the Wire reflect significant cultural narratives surrounding military engagement in contemporary conflicts.
Documentary Significance
The documentary serves as an educational tool, fostering dialogue between civilians and military personnel. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the human aspects of war—beyond statistics and news headlines—highlighting personal stories that often go untold. By documenting real-life experiences from both soldiers and civilians, it challenges viewers to confront their preconceived notions about war.
Fictional Film Significance
The Netflix adaptation taps into current societal concerns regarding technology's role in warfare—specifically drone warfare—and raises ethical questions about depersonalization in combat. As audiences become increasingly aware of these issues through media portrayals, films like Outside the Wire contribute to broader discussions about military ethics, responsibility, and the future of warfare.
Audience Engagement
Both films cater to different audiences:
- The documentary appeals primarily to viewers interested in real-life accounts of military operations and those seeking a deeper understanding of Afghanistan's socio-political landscape.
- The Netflix film targets fans of action-packed thrillers who may appreciate sci-fi elements but might not be looking for an educational experience.
Insights from Filmmakers
Filmmakers from both projects have expressed their motivations behind creating these works:
- Meg Prior, director of the documentary, aimed to provide a nuanced view of war that goes beyond traditional narratives found in mainstream media. She sought to illuminate the complexities faced by soldiers on the ground while also showcasing Afghan perspectives.
- Mikael Håfström, director of the Netflix film, aimed to explore themes related to technology's impact on humanity within a militarized context. He sought to create an engaging action film that also provokes thought about moral dilemmas faced by modern soldiers.
Outside the Wire stands as a compelling example of how different forms of media can address complex themes related to warfare. The documentary provides an essential look at real-world implications and human experiences during conflict, while the fictional adaptation explores contemporary issues through an entertaining lens. Together, they contribute significantly to ongoing conversations about war's realities and ethical considerations in an increasingly technological battlefield. By examining both iterations under this title, we gain insight into how narratives surrounding war are constructed—whether through factual documentation or speculative fiction—and how they resonate with audiences today.