Immediately after the September 11 attacks, the U.S. government initiated a secret war in Afghanistan.
Fewer than a hundred Special Forces soldiers, building a coalition with the rebels of the Northern Alliance, faced off against the Taliban and the terrorist organization al-Qaeda and succeeded in driving them out of power by the end of the year — with minimal coalition casualties and without conventional, large-scale military operations.
Despite this victory, the U.S. and its allies soon became mired in a seemingly never-ending war, the impact of which is still being felt to this day.
That is the story being told in Greg Barker's Legion of Brothers, a searing documentary making its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 21.
This previously untold tale utilizes firsthand accounts from several of the Green Berets who played pivotal roles in these covert missions. Reflecting upon their experiences, and upon the brothers-in-arms they lost on the battlefields, these elite troops offer both a celebration of valor, and a sobering, cautionary tale.
Mashable has an exclusive first look at a scene from Legion of Brothers ahead of the film's Sundance premiere, as the soldiers look back at the sense of purpose and desire for justice they felt when they first embarked upon their missions.
The doc is produced by CNN Films and Passion Pictures. Content Media Corporation has acquired international distribution rights for the film, while U.S. domestic theatrical and streaming rights for Legion of Brothers are currently available. CNN retains U.S. broadcast rights for the documentary -- meaning that you won't have to wait too long before it pops up on a TV screen near you.
