Movie #1316 ........................."The White Helmets"

Movie #1316 "The White Helmets" ---here is an AA nominated short documentary worthy of your watching -- it runs about 40 minutes but boy is it powerful.  It is not for young children, and even adults will find it difficult to watch.  However, what it smartly does is go back and forth from the actual footage of these white helmets pulling people out of recently bombed structures to the white helmets being interviewed about why they do this........It is available to stream on netflix (it is backed by netflix) so it gives it an edge over the other nominees in accessibility, but it's difficult to imagine another short doc that is much better (although I think I read 3 of the 5 nominated in this category concern Syria).  A quick synopsis of this film:  it introduces us to some of the guys saying goodbye to their families and  going to work --- so they look like firefighters, etc.   Then, when you (and they) watch a military (Russian) plane dropping a load of barrel bombs (the most destructive), instead of turning away, they get in their trucks and cars and run TO the destruction, quickly pulling out dead and alive bodies as quickly as they can, running up and down stairs finding out who lived in the building and where he/she is.  Unbelievable footage here --- They have been in existence since 2013, have saved over 58,000 lives (and lost some 125+ of their own)  They respond to scores of airstrikes every day, and since Russia has stepped in, situation has gone from bad to worse because Russia is targeting civilians (even hospitals!) while saying they are helping.... Part of the film goes away from the airstrikes to show how these untrained men are getting some training by traveling to southern turkey to find out how to use sound equipment, etc.  I don't know the film manages it, but by the end, you are smiling and left with some hope since their mantra is:  without hope, we die.  Here's an added thing about this film that brought tears to my eyes.  Here they are nominated and probably will win in this category, and the academy would want to give them an award and possibly a standing ovation for this group of people, but because of the recent ban, they will not be allowed into the country.  (That may change, but that's how it stands now ).  Check it out on netflix and I don't think you will be disappointed.  4.8  out of 5 stars.  I just wish it was a tad longer with more information on who funds them, and a brief history lesson maybe?


"THE WHITE HELMETS"       2016        40mins.

As daily airstrikes pound civilian targets in Syria, a group of indomitable first responders risk their lives  to rescue victims from the rubble .