Documentary by First-Year MFA Garners Multiple Awards at Documentary Film Festivals

The Triangle of Death, a documentary film directed by Folleh Shar Tamba, immerses the viewer into the middle of the war in Iraq and first Iraqi election right after the fall of Saddam Hussein. It’s a fast-paced adventure piece, documenting day-to-day combat experiences of the 3rd Platoon of the 2/24th of the United States Marine Corps while deployed in the Sunni Triangle in 2004-2005.

<img alt="Folleh-holding-m-16.jpg" src="https://blogs.colum.edu/wp-content/uploads/mtimport/interarts-cbpa/Folleh-holding-m-16.jpg" width="200" height="200" style="border:10px solid #ccc; margin:2px;"

Tamba joined the Marines specifically to get to Iraq, where he shot thousands of hours of footage. On his return to the U.S., he teamed up with filmmaker Juan Montelongo to record interviews with his fellow Marines. They distilled a combination of Iraqi footage and these interviews into ninety-four minutes that features grueling warfare, and places the viewer right at the “tip of the spear:” traveling in the convoys, going house to house, battling from the rooftops, all while real bullets are whizzing by.

The Triangle of Death has been screened at over 20 film festivals since 2009, and has received numerous awards including the Founder’s Choice Award at the 2009 GI Film Festival; Best Documentary at 2011 Naperville Independent Film Festival; Special Jury award at the 2011 Alaska International Film Award; and Documentary Award Winner at the 2011 Love Unlimited Film Festival and Art Exhibition.