Institute History
Description
Twenty years after the Guantanamo Bay detention camp was established by the U.S. military in the wake of 9/11, its legacy continues to cast a long shadow. This film focuses on several men — detained in Guantanamo for years without charge by the United States — after they are placed in what’s billed as the world’s first rehabilitation center for extremists. There, they undergo the center’s “deradicalization” program, which includes therapy sessions and life skills classes, before they are permitted to be released into an unfamiliar society where they will face new challenges. In the process, the four men illuminate their individual understanding of what the term “jihad” has meant in their own lives, and express the anguish and complexities of their personal journeys. In her feature debut, director Meg Smaker takes us inside not only the center but also her conversations and experiences with these men as they move to an uncertain future. With empathy and extraordinary access, Jihad Rehab is a powerful document of how individuals and societies face the far-reaching consequences of conflict.