text: Festival | Features | Those We Left Behind
  Share this on Facebook Tweet this Share this on Google+ Beth Murphy's indelible doc The List sheds light on the unspoken anguish of our Iraqi allies, and one courageous man trying to right our wrongs.
  Beth Murphy: This is a film about the clarity and conviction of one man in the face America's war on terrorism, a war that often provides few moments of clarity or moral fortitude. To me, Kirk Johnson represents the best of America—who we want to be or imagine ourselves to be when we engage in the world. The truth is, he is an anomaly. He is a voice in the wilderness, and even as Americans are loathe to hear more about the Iraq war, he continues to remind us that Iraqis lives are at stake because they signed on to help America rebuild their country. Tribeca: What inspired you to tell this story? It clearly seems like a labor of love and passion. Did you have a connection to any of the subjects—were they your "way in"?
  Beth Murphy: I serve on the board of the International Institute of New England, an organization that helps settle refugees in the Boston area. Issues facing refugees are ones I care deeply about, and it's the number one reason I volunteer for this organization. In early 2007, we were hearing that our organization would soon be aiding a flood of refugees from Iraq—especially those who worked directly for the U.S. government while we were at war in their country. Some were threatened; some were kidnapped; others were executed and offered as examples of what would happen to anyone who allied with the Americans. One State Department official suggested that 20,000 Iraqi refugees could be admitted into the U.S. over the course of that year, but by the end of July, a grand total of 133 had been let in. While terrified Iraqis waited, went into hiding, or fled their country to become refugees in Syria, Egypt, and Jordan, the paperwork that could bring them safely within our borders was held up at every turn and routinely rejected. It was a massive bureaucratic failure—one that seemed to suggest that no one really cared if these people lived or died. In Boston, the refugees we'd been waiting for never came. That raised a red flag, and I just started making phone calls. I wanted answers. It was a call with someone at the State Department that led me to Kirk and his work.
  He was quiet, unassuming, impressive. What struck me most is that he put his entire life on hold in order to focus on this issue—something he never anticipated doing. He was totally focused on something bigger than himself, something I really admire. His conviction that the United States faced a moral imperative to help the Iraqis we had placed in harm's way was the antithesis of the paper-pushing and unconcern coming from Washington. Wherever he was going with his remarkable one-man fight, I wanted to document it. Less than a month after our first meeting, I was on my way to Chicago to film Yaghdan, the first man from Kirk's list, as he arrived in the United States. This first filming was just four days after giving birth to my first (and only) daughter Isabelle; that's how important I believed this story was to tell. I anticipated nearly three years to complete the film, but because of new developments in the story, the production timeline ultimately stretched more than four years.
  Beth Murphy: The security of the Iraqis we interviewed was always our number one priority. All of the people we interviewed were in danger because of an affiliation with America. You can imagine the inherent challenges that this situation created. The majority of the interviews we filmed overseas (in Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Egypt) were done with one major caveat: the interview could only be used in the film if the interview subject had safely been resettled in the United States. Tribeca: The film presents some pretty damning evidence against our treatment of our Iraqi allies. What do you hope audiences take away from The List? Beth Murphy: I hope this adds to the tremendous body of work by other filmmakers about the impact and consequences of the Iraq War. I would like for this to generate thoughtful reflection and discussion around individual responsibility in times of war, what it means to uphold American values, what our actions say about our values, and how our history is linked to moral choices. Tribeca: What's the craziest thing (or "lightning strikes" moment) that happened during production?
  Beth Murphy: The most important thing I learned is to just stay true to the story you're trying to tell. It may not happen in the timeframe you envisioned, it may mean putting other things on hold longer than you'd like. But the goal is clear: make the best film that can be made and everything else will follow. There are often outside pressures—even from other members of the production team—that can be a threat to the artistic and story-telling process. Again, the mission is to make the best possible film—don't ever lose sight of that. Tribeca: What are you most looking forward to at the Tribeca Film Festival?