Ghosts of Abu Ghraib

Under orders, people are capable of perpetrating inhumane acts: that is the message of the archival footage of obedience experiments performed at Yale in the 1960s, shown in the opening moments of Ghosts of Abu Graib. The scandal that occurred at the now-infamous prison provides evidence of it. Who can forget the disturbing photos of Iraqi prisoners tortured by American soldiers, that came to public attention in 2004? How could such monstrous acts have become accepted practice? Through interviews with Iraqi victims and soldiers involved in the abuses as well as an in-depth investigation of the decisions made by the US military and government in violation of the Geneva Conventions, the film seeks to understand how a country viewed as an advocate of human rights could commit torture and downplay the seriousness of its actions.