THE CONSTANT GARDENER - FOCUS FEATURES RELEASING ANTI-IRAQ-WAR DOCUMENTARY

Focus Features, the arthouse unit of Universal Pictures that achieved success with The Constant Gardener and Brokeback Mountain, said Monday that it will release the Iraq war documentary The Ground Truth in theaters on September 15, just 11 days before the release of the DVD. The documentary reportedly focuses on soldiers engaging in what are described as "indiscriminate killings" in Iraq, the feelings of guilt that they experience, and their difficulties readjusting upon returning home. A blurb for the movie on the Focus site says that the war itself represents "a prelude for the even more challenging battles fought by the soldiers returning home -- with personal demons, an uncomprehending public, and an indifferent government." The short theatrical release of the movie will be followed on Oct. 11 by screenings in homes, churches, hospitals, libraries and other community centers to mark the four-year anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion. Asked about concerns by exhibitors about the diminishing window betweeen the time films are released in theaters and the time they are released on DVD, Focus CEO James Schamus told Reuters that the distribution plans for Truth are unique. "I think people understand this is a very special situation," he said.

08/08/2006