"Get the information. That's all you're told?get the information."
Other than the restriction that Army and C.I.A. interrogators cannot beat terrorist suspects, this is the only guideline at the Bagram Air Base in the Parwan province of Afghanistan, according to an interrogator in the film trailer for "Taxi to the Darkside."
The Oscar-winning documentary, which will show at Bowdoin on Wednesday, begins by chronicling the capture, interrogation, and eventual death by torture of Dilawan, an Afghan taxi driver, that occurred in 2002 at the Bagram Air Base. The United States held Dilawan captive without making formal accusations. He was tortured to death, like many of the persons under custody (PUCs) at Bagram.
The film makes further inquiries into the United States's policy on torture and interrogation, as well as the mentality that prevails at Bagram and at Guantánamo Bay that prevents interrogators and witnesses from refusing to act against these U.S. policies.
"The film investigates the use of interrogation techniques as part of the War on Terror," said Professor of Government Allen Springer. Regarding the connection between Bagram and Guantánamo, he added, "it focuses on interrogation techniques rather than a direct connection between the two facilities. The subject matter is of great interest to a lot of people right now."
"Taxi to the Darkside" supports an alleged link between Dilawan's death and the U.S. government's policies.
The movie highlights the pressure from the government to which the Army and C.I.A. must respond, forcing them to assume that prisoners are guilty and that they must extract information from them.
Alex Gibney wrote, produced, and directed the film. He incorporates records of the incident and testimonies from eyewitnesses and participants in Dilawan's torture.
He interviews men who were later court-martialed for criminal behavior and their lawyers. Also interviewed are interrogation experts, as well as government officials such as John Yoo, a Department of Justice attorney who legalized practices used by the Bush administration that were originally restricted by the Geneva Convention.
"Taxi to the Darkside" won the 2007 Oscar for best documentary. In his acceptance speech, Gibney said, "This is dedicated to two people who are no longer with us, Dilawar, the young Afghan taxi driver, and my father, a navy interrogator who urged me to make this film because of his fury about what was being done to the rule of law. Let's hope we can turn this country around, move away from the dark side and back to the light."
Next Wednesday, John Hutson, the President and Dean of the Franklin Pierce Law Center, will be at Bowdoin to introduce the film and answer questions after the showing.
Hutson is a retired Rear Admiral and former Judge Advocate General of the Navy whose testimony in Congress against certain interrogation practices was crucial. He is an expert on torture and interrogation techniques.
Springer, who organized Hutson's visit with Bowdoin alumna Suzanne Watson, said, "Hutson has been outspoken in his criticism of some of the harsher interrogation techniques used."
The film will show at 7 p.m. in Kresge auditorium on Wednesday. The event is free and open to the public. Tickets are available at the Smith Union Info Desk.
"We expect them to go quickly," said Springer. "If there is sufficient demand, there might be a second showing later in the week," he added.