2008 Woodie Awards
Occupation: Dreamland brings Falluja to SSU
Joe Thomas, Staff Writer
Issue date: 3/8/06 Section: News
"If you join the army just know you're gonna get f****d," said a soldier from the 82nd Airborne Division in Iraq. On Feb. 28 Associated Student Productions (ASP) presented "Occupation: Dreamland" in the Student Union Multi Purpose Room. Host Ian Olds was one of the two directors of the film "Occupation: Dreamland." The event consisted of a viewing of the film followed by a question and answer session with Olds.
Olds is the recipient of the 2005 Princess Grace Award, and he will receive his MFA from Columbia University's film division later this year. He previously edited and co-wrote "Cul de Sac: A Suburban War Story," which was a success at the Sundance Film Festival, and later aired on television. Olds directed a short narrative film, "Two Men," which was a Denis Johnson short story. The film premiered at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in 2005.
"Dreamland" is in the form of a first-hand documentary and takes place in Falluja during the winter of 2004. The film follows a day in the life of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division. It is a politically balanced epic, and allows for those who are rarely heard to talk about the war in Iraq. It is the voice of the soldier.
The story slowly unfolds as conflict rises and catastrophes occur. The film provides a look into the streets of Falluja before the city is stricken by terror. It looks at the deteriorating security in the city before it is destroyed with an influx of radical military assaults during the spring of 2004.
Olds and his partner, Garrett Scott, had access to many of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division operations. They lived with the division, which allowed them to hear the voice of soldiers. "Dreamland" portrays a view of "The Complexity of American War in the 21st Century."
The men began their journey by flying to Jordan and having a three-day stay with the army. They had no military training but preferred to follow a small squad.
There are many reasons the soldiers joined the army, which the movie explores. "I didn't know what I want to do with my life I had no goals… so I joined the army," One of the soldiers said.
Olds is the recipient of the 2005 Princess Grace Award, and he will receive his MFA from Columbia University's film division later this year. He previously edited and co-wrote "Cul de Sac: A Suburban War Story," which was a success at the Sundance Film Festival, and later aired on television. Olds directed a short narrative film, "Two Men," which was a Denis Johnson short story. The film premiered at the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in 2005.
"Dreamland" is in the form of a first-hand documentary and takes place in Falluja during the winter of 2004. The film follows a day in the life of the U.S. Army's 82nd Airborne Division. It is a politically balanced epic, and allows for those who are rarely heard to talk about the war in Iraq. It is the voice of the soldier.
The story slowly unfolds as conflict rises and catastrophes occur. The film provides a look into the streets of Falluja before the city is stricken by terror. It looks at the deteriorating security in the city before it is destroyed with an influx of radical military assaults during the spring of 2004.
Olds and his partner, Garrett Scott, had access to many of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division operations. They lived with the division, which allowed them to hear the voice of soldiers. "Dreamland" portrays a view of "The Complexity of American War in the 21st Century."
The men began their journey by flying to Jordan and having a three-day stay with the army. They had no military training but preferred to follow a small squad.
There are many reasons the soldiers joined the army, which the movie explores. "I didn't know what I want to do with my life I had no goals… so I joined the army," One of the soldiers said.