Watch: ‘Only the Dead’ Documentarians Share the Cost of Telling a War Story (Exclusive)

In the midst of their promotional tour for the documentary “Only the Dead,” two-time Oscar-winning filmmaker Bill Guttentag and former Time and CNN journalist Michael Ware joined Indiewire’s Special Projects Editor Steve Greene to discuss the making and the message of their new film. The screening and discussion was a part of IDA’s ongoing documentary discussion series.

“Only the Dead” tells the story of the the Middle East through the eyes of Ware, who was hand picked by Al Qaeda leader Abu Musab Al Zarqawi to go public with a video announcing the jihadist’s plan for war on the West. Watch the video above to hear why the directors were challenged to make a film about the Iraq War that people would actually want to watch, and see more videos below.

The directors always knew what the end of the film would be.

The film tells a universal story about the human condition.

Ware was changed forever by his experience.