Considering the fact that we have been in Iraq for over 1,875 days as of today – almost all of our television shows, news programs, movies, and songs somehow have woven this war into their medium in one form or another. Be it positive or negative, the message is somehow delivered through audio or video. Some simply deliver a message that this war is a lie – and we should impeach Bush and Cheney – or worse. Some send a message that this war is just – and we should praise our Commander-In-Chief for the job he has done…

…and some send a message, through comedy, logic and drama that leaves us to draw our own conclusions and make us ponder the situation that we are in. Those two men are Dan Boylan and Guy Taylor.

On April 14th, we headed to Columbia University to attend a director’s screening of A.S. Films International’s D.C. Trilogy – which, in our opinion, perfectly documents this war in three different ways. Being the sons of two identical twins, which makes them cousins – these two movie magicians have the same mental link that they would as if they were what their mothers were – and it truly reflects in the products they produce.

When we first arrived, we were greeted by Dan, Guy and wine and cheese – while “Uncle Jimmy” – or Jim Berkley – played music during the reception prior to the screening. Playing some original pieces including some songs he wrote for one of the three movies – and even Guns and Roses Sweet Child of Mine on the Ukulele – it was the perfect opening to a trifecta of movies that made you ponder the war in Iraq, wonder what its future will be – and see two men’s perspective on what it actually is.

The first film of the night was simply called Classified, which told the story of a White House operative struggling with morality issues regarding the war in Iraq. Through the eyes of the filmmakers we see the struggle that one man goes through in his quest to uphold the responsibilities of his position within the government. The film begins with a close-up of his eye – immediately drawing in the viewer and making them feel as if they are, in fact, standing in the same room with this man who faces a task many of us could not bring ourselves to do – yet for the good of the country, he must.

The second film was A Free Radical, which told the story of Nib Nedal (played by Dan), who was a bungling terrorist who attempted “Phase 1” of his three phase plan to assassinate a prominent Washington leader by building a “bomb” made of mashed potatoes topped with blue food coloring. Recruiting the help of, “Young Coconut” (played by Guy) they continue to come up with insane nefarious plots to continue their terroristic ways – with “Phase 2” of Nib’s and now “Young Coconut’s” ultimate plan to, “behead all bananas.” “Phase 3” was to use the media to get their message out. This movie had incredible direction – as it brought you right into their conversations through the lens.

During “Phase 3” of a twisted, outrageous plot to reveal to the world how exactly the media is involved in the cowardly act of terrorism, Investigative Reporter Ronaldo Henri (portrayed brilliantly by Buenos Aires actor Patricio Schwartz) desperately tried to get someone – anyone – to believe him. Henri’s attempts to inform people that the terrorist was nuts and something must be done to stop him simply fell on deaf ears – because no one did a thing. No one took him seriously at a time when they should have taken him seriously more than ever before.

In our opinion, this movie perfectly portrayed the ridiculous stupidity of terrorists. These bumbling terrorists come up with plots that will ensnare the media, which will get their message out there and keep them in the spotlight – just as Osama Bin Laden does every time he releases a tape. The fact that their “weapon” was mashed potatoes and their “target” was bananas clearly portrays that terrorism is nothing more than an insane desire to cause mass chaos and destruction that is so insane the reality of their actual threat is possibly a joke. Nib and Young Coconut are also not portrayed as Muslims in any way (they seem to have no religion but their own madness) – but they triggered us to think about the madness of terrorists who believe their “reward” is in paradise, which is nothing more than spin by their leaders – because all that is waiting for them is eternal damnation.

In the third and final film of the night, Moment of Silence, the filmmakers took us into the world of a soldier named John who served his country in Iraq, but returned home a changed man – and not in a good way. While his wife expected to have her husband back, she was confronted with the reality that the man who came back from Iraq was nothing like the man she had married and who had left. Tragically, she does not realize this in time to prevent the worst of all homecomings. While she expects John to come home and make love to her, the reality is that he comes home and smothers her to death with her own pillows. We see further evidence that John has lost his grip on reality when he declares that, “Baghdad was so funny, it was not funny at all.”

John’s perception of reality was so skewed because of the time he served in Iraq that when he returned home, he suspected his wife of cheating on him – with the mailman of all people. In reality, nothing ever happened between the two men, but his own sense of paranoia and deluded sense of reality led him to believe otherwise. This is all the more tragic as it makes his wife’s murder that much more senseless.

These two filmmakers brilliantly take us into the lives of people who have been affected by the war in countless ways, which most people will never actually experience. But due to the genius of Dan and Guy, we can get a glimpse of what it must be like to deal with the fallout of an ongoing war from the eyes of the ones who have dealt with it day after day for more than 1,875 days. After seeing these films, we can safely say we have a much better perspective on what people have had to deal with as a result of this war. So thank you Dan and Guy – you have opened our eyes like no other filmmakers could.