Against All Enemies – This is how countries end

This is how countries end

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Press

Reviews

“

The unimaginable — a modern U.S. civil war — gains considerable clarity and alarming proximity in this documentary.

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Variety

“

It does plenty to scare one about the future of the republic.

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Daily Beast

“

Vital and urgent (…) always resolute to its overall message, but unafraid to listen and have a conversation.

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Film Inquiry

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Is fretting about the political outcome of the 2024 presidential election warranted?

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CBS News

“

(Against All Enemies is a) documentary about an important subject: The disturbing radicalization of America’s military veterans into far-right and white-supremacist terror groups.

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“

A thundering, anxiety-inducing documentary.

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The Playlist

“

Way too many jaw-dropping moments to count.

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Solzy at the Movies

“

Against All Enemies is powerful, and heartwrenching… a vital reminder of our responsibility to safeguard our democratic systems and prevent the spread of extremist ideologies

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The Los Angeles News

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There is plenty to be gleaned from this insightful and gripping look at evolving history.

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Cinema Daily US

“

Not a comforting documentary, but then it does not want to be.

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ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

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An (incredibly) timely documentary.

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DIGBY’S HULLABALOO

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One of those documentaries that I will keep in mind when award nomination season rolls around.

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Next Best Picture

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BRIEF THOUGHTS ON AGAINST ALL ENEMIES

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UNSEEN FILMS

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‘AGAINST ALL ENEMIES’ WARNS OF THE GROWING DIVIDE WITH VETERANS

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SUNSHINE STATE CINEPLEX

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FILM FESTIVAL ROUNDUP—2023 TRIBECA FESTIVAL

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STATIC MULTIMEDIA

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AGAINST ALL ENEMIES’ EXPLORES WHY VETERANS ARE DRAWN TO EXTREMISM AND THE DANGER THEY COULD POSE

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MILITARY.COM

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TRIBECA 2023 MOVIE REVIEW

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THE LAMPLIGHT REVIEW

“

BIS AN DIE ZÄHNE BEWAFFNET

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Arte Magazin

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ARTE-DOKU ÜBER DIE RECHTE IN DEN USA: AUFSTAND DER VETERANEN

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Tagesspiegel

Synopsis

Why would US military veterans take up arms against the country they swore an oath to protect?

Through gripping personal perspectives from all sides of this ongoing crisis, Against All Enemies goes deep inside the violent extremist movement in America, alongside the Proud Boys, 3 Percenters, and with never-before-seen footage of the Oath Keepers.

These groups, organized and led by highly trained military veterans, pose one of the greatest threats to the United States today.

While most veterans are successful in their transition to civilian life, an increasingly radicalized element is drawn to the insurrectionist movement.

We saw evidence of this during the January 6 Capitol riots, but the danger goes far beyond a single day.

The film explores the historical roots of the insurrectionist cause, its conspiracy-fueled draw for today’s veterans, and the top-cover coming from powerful politicians and highly decorated former military officers.

Against All Enemies is both a warning about an existential threat to democracy in 2024, and a beacon for those hoping to combat it.

Why would US military veterans take up arms against the country they swore an oath to protect?

These groups, organized and led by highly trained military veterans, pose one of the greatest threats to the United States today.

While most veterans are successful in their transition to civilian life, an increasingly radicalized element is drawn to the insurrectionist movement.

We saw evidence of this during the January 6 Capitol riots, but the danger goes far beyond a single day.

Against All Enemies is both a warning about an existential threat to democracy in 2024, and a beacon for those hoping to combat it.

Director's statement

So when Ken Harbaugh – whom I originally met when he was president of Team Rubicon Global and I was producing veteran-focused campaigns for Spike TV – approached me about directing a film about veterans who were being recruited into violent extremist groups, I immediately thought about that

longing I had heard about from so many former soldiers, airmen, and Marines. How did it fit into the complex web of forces that can turn someone who was willing to die fighting for the United States in Iraq or Afghanistan into a domestic terrorist when they get home?

To answer that question, I thought it was important to hear directly from vets who are members of the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys and 3 Percenters; to find out what they’re reading and sharing on the web; and to see the actions they’re taking on the ground (not training sessions in the woods, but actual missions with real targets).

It turns out their stories have a lot in common with veterans going as far back as the Civil War, with particularly fascinating echoes from Vietnam and the movements it bore.

By painting a fuller picture of these individuals and placing them in the context of history, my hope is that we not only have a better understanding of why they’ve chosen to turn their sights on the so-called enemy within but the threat that poses to the country they once swore an oath to defend.

Charlie Sadoff

I’ve had the privilege of telling the stories of many US military veterans over the last 13 years, and in that time, I’ve come to learn that almost none of them want to be called heroes and almost all of them long for the camaraderie and sense of purpose they had in the service. So when Ken Harbaugh – whom I originally met when he was president of Team Rubicon Global and I was producing veteran-focused campaigns for Spike TV – approached me about directing a film about veterans who were being recruited into violent extremist groups, I immediately thought about that longing I had heard about from so many former soldiers, airmen, and Marines.

How did it fit into the complex web of forces that can turn someone who was willing to die fighting for the United States in Iraq or Afghanistan into a domestic terrorist when they get home? To answer that question, I thought it was important to hear directly from vets who are members of the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys and 3 Percenters; to find out what they’re reading and sharing on the web; and to see the actions they’re taking on the ground (not training sessions in the woods, but actual missions with real targets).

It turns out their stories have a lot in common with veterans going as far back as the Civil War, with particularly fascinating echoes from Vietnam and the movements it bore. By painting a fuller picture of these individuals and placing them in the context of history, my hope is that we not only have a better understanding of why they’ve chosen to turn their sights on the so-called enemy within but the threat that poses to the country they once swore an oath to defend.

Buzz

Mark Hertling

@MarkHertling

This film is an emotional reminder of what really happened on J6, and as we look to protect our democracy it is a stark reminder to help us make our choices! Please watch #AgainstAllEnemies

Meidas Touch

@MeidasTouch

BREAKING: Against All Enemies, the new documentary executive produced by MeidasTouch, is now #5 of ALL movies on Apple TV, passing Oppenheimer, Barbie and more!

Steve Schmidt

@SteveSchmidtSES

This is a must see. I recently spoke with @charliesad about this exceptional documentary on The Warning podcast: youtu.be/3Ek-4_DfO3w?si

Nick Schrager (Daily Beast)

@nschager

Premiering at @Tribeca, “Against All Enemies” is a chilling look at the growing relationship between white-nationalist hate groups and military and law enforcement personnel.

Norman Ornstein

@NormOrnstein

Tonight, at the Tribeca Film Festival, I saw an amazing, compelling and chilling documentary. Against All Enemies, written and directed by Charlie Sadoff, is about military and former military joining extremist movements. Make note of it. It is truly important.

Sara Clemets (Next Best Picture)

@mildredsfierce

AGAINST ALL ENEMIES is a great doc & a shocking examination of Jan 6 & why so many veterans join radical right groups. Offers interesting perspectives & inadvertently highlights the issue that is the lack of aid (mental health support etc) for veterans. Insightful. #Tribeca2023

Team

Charlie Sadoff

Director and Producer

Charlie Sadoff is a producer, director and editor. Documentaries he has produced include The Mind of Mark Defriest which premiered at Hot Docs and aired on Showtime, Dream Riders (Sheffield Doc Fest, Discovery), the 10 part series The Rites of Autumn for ESPN, and multiple docs for History and CBS Sports.

Charlie seeks projects that can help affect meaningful change and Cut Poison Burn (Mill Valley) and The Harvest (IDFA, Epix) from executive producers Eva Longoria and Academy Award winners Shine Global both screened on Capitol Hill as part of efforts to move legislation. The Definition of Insanity, which he wrote and produced for PBS in 2020 is currently being used to help cities around the world change the way people with mental illness interact with the criminal justice system.

Charlie hails from a military family, and over the past decade has devoted his filmmaking talents to numerous veteran causes.

Kenneth Harbaugh

Executive Producer and Producer

Ken Harbaugh is a former Navy pilot and Mission Commander who helped build and lead several nationally recognized veterans organizations, including Team Rubicon. He is an outspoken advocate for his fellow veterans, and his writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Hill, and the Yale Journal of International Law.

He served as a commentator for NPR’s All Things Considered, and has appeared on numerous national television and radio broadcasts. Ken currently hosts the top 100 history podcast, Warriors In Their Own Words, and the award-winning podcast and YouTube series Burn the Boats.

Sebastian Junger

Writer and Executive Producer

Sebastian Junger is the #1 New York Times Bestselling author of The Perfect Storm, Fire, A Death in Belmont, War, Tribe, and Freedom.

Sebastian is also a documentary filmmaker whose debut film Restrepo, a feature-length documentary co-directed with Tim Hetherington, was nominated for an Academy Award, and won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. Restrepo, which chronicled the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, is widely considered to have broken new ground in war reporting.

Dan Barkhuff

Co-executive Producer

Dan Barkhuff is a former US Navy SEAL.

Committed to advocacy on behalf of veterans, he founded Veterans for Responsible Leadership, and has become a highly regarded voice within the veteran community.