Learn about the human toll of drone warfare on both sides at a free screening of 'National Bird'

Sonia Kennebeck’s impressive and furious documentary National Bird (executive-produced by Errol Morris and Wim Wenders) follows three military veterans who served in the U.S. drone program, and are now grappling with the guilt of the faceless killings they ordered or executed. Whereas it might be assumed that the video-game unreality of drone warfare – unmanned planes dropping bombs at locations seen only via satellite surveillance video – would lessen the dreadfulness of bringing down death upon other humans, in fact it seems to have the same effect as firing weapons face-to-face. Perhaps even worse, based on the hollow-eyed mien of the protagonists of this doc as the cumulative effects of shame and remorse seep in. Words like “chilling,” “heart-breaking” and “enraging” have popped up in reviews of the film, and seem to barely scratch the surface of the horror and significance of this issue. This IndieLens pop-up screening is presented by the Global Peace Film Festival, which returns in September.

2 p.m. Sunday, April 9 | Winter Park Public Library, 460 E. New England Ave., Winter Park | wppl.org | free
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