Foreign Territory at Sundance: Sebastian Junger's Nerves, an Ex-bin Laden Bodyguard, and a Pakistan-India Dance-Off

Early this morning, Heidi and I (along with 200 or so other directors) piled into one of five coach buses headed to the famed Sundance Resort for the Directors Brunch. Driving through untouched white powder and exquisite mountain landscapes, we got to know some of our fellow 2010 filmmakers. When first-time director Sebastian Junger ("Restrepo") sweetly asked, "Just wondering, is it always so stressful at these film festivals?" I knew I wasn't just imagining that revealing one's labor of love, sweat and passion is anxiety provoking. Junger is a tough war journalist who has been shot at and spent a year in Afghanistan, in the world's most dangerous 10 square miles. He's stressed out?

Last night, we saw Laura Poitras' fantastic film "The Oath." Poitras' film takes us to Yemen and follows the story of Abu Jandal, a former member of al-Qaeda and bodyguard to Osama bin Laden. First of all, let me just say she has huge, iron-clad cojones for hanging out alone in Yemen for two years and waiting out a difficult and cloudy story with a charming but wholly unreliable protagonist who would slowly dole out material to her when he felt like it. Interweaving the parallel story of Jandal's brother-in-law, who was awaiting trial at Guantanamo, the viewer is allowed access into a former (but maybe not toooootally done with it) jihadi's world view.

Heidi and I spent a couple of months in Saudi Arabia recently ourselves, and got to know some of these "rehabilitated" jihadists. It's important (and rare) for American audiences to see realistic and objective stories of these young men, who feel profoundly that they are on a mission straight from God to rid the planet of the West's influence. "The Oath" delivers and informs in a non-inflammatory fashion.

We also saw a fantastic short documentary called "Wagah" about the daily spectacle at the only border crossing that exists between Pakistan and India. Every evening as dusk, 20,000 people show up on both sides to watch one of the most colorful, over-the-top parades I've ever seen. As they lower their respective flags, each country's soldiers have a full-on, butt-shaking dance-off -- nationalism at it's most flexible. If only all conflicts in this world of ours could be settled with a dance party.

Ok, signing off. Tomorrow, our premiere. I'm stressed, just like that tough war reporter.

--RG