Fuelled by justifiable outrage, this moving and surprisingly lyrical docu-drama chronicles the absurd, yet true journey of three friends from the British Midlands, who set out for a wedding in Pakistan and end up incarcerated in Guantanamo. In late September 2001, Asif Iqbal (Arfan Usman) sets out for Pakistan to meet his bride. His best man Ruhel joins him from the UK, with his friends Shafiq and Monir. Neither political nor devout, the four are ordinary, fairly naïve British boys of Pakistani descent.
They arrive early for the wedding and, with time to kill, embark for Afghanistan on a kind of humanitarian/bachelor's misadventure. As they arrive in Afghanistan, the first American bombs hit, they loose Monir, are captured, interrogated and tortured, declared 'bad people' by George Bush and then shipped out for a traumatising two-year stay in Cuba.
The Road to Guantanamo works in such obvious ways, because Director Winterbottom never lets go, never eases up to allow us to feel comfortable. Seeing what happens to the 'Tipton Three' as they became known, is not only disquieting, but also harrowing to watch as it depicts how vicious, uncaring and brutal we are, even though world leaders continue to deny everything. |
