Nearly a decade after three men from an Iraqi family were killed by US Marines in Baghdad, one of the soldiers involved in the shooting met with two women who survived the incident. This encounter forms the central theme of
the film Atonement, the first feature film by writer and director Reed Van Dyke. The incident occurred in April 2003 when three generations of a Christian Armenian family were on their way home in Baghdad. During a clash with Iraqi forces,
Marines opened fire on the family’s vehicles, killing three of its men. Years later, the former soldier met the survivors at their home in Glendale, California. The film is based on a 2012 article published in The New Yorker, with the
real names of the characters changed. Boyd Holbrook stars as Lou Dalisandro, the former soldier seeking forgiveness from the family, while Hiam Abbass plays Mariam, who lost her husband and two sons. Kenneth Branagh portrays journalist Michael Reed, who covered
the incident and arranged the meeting. The characters are inspired by former Marine Lou Lobello, Margaret Katchadourian, and journalist Dexter Filkins. Van Dyke explained in an interview that Iraqis are often portrayed in Iraq War films as snipers or background figures,
but he wanted to focus on the people directly affected by the war and the incident. The former soldier is haunted by memories of civilian deaths caused by his unit and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder. Holbrook cited a line
from the film, saying, “this bullet hits both sides,” reflecting his character’s ongoing internal struggle. In reality, Lobello asked Filkins to arrange a meeting with the Katchadourian family, who agreed to receive and forgive him. Abbass said she drew on her
experience as a Palestinian woman and mother raised amid conflict to portray Mariam, expressing amazement at the woman’s capacity for forgiveness and wondering about many others who have endured similar experiences but cannot forgive. Branagh noted that the film’s climactic meeting
reveals extraordinary human vulnerability and highlights the willingness of both sides to engage in dialogue despite the absence of clear answers about what happened. Atonement premiered in North America at the Toronto International Film Festival this month and will begin a
limited theatrical release on October 2, expanding on October 9.
