--- title: "‘Retrograde’ tells the story of the Afghanistan withdrawal and reminds the world the war isn’t truly over" description: "Retrograde tells the story of the Afghanistan withdrawal and shows the deep relationship between the ODA and the Afghan National Army." date: "2022-12-19" modified: "2022-12-19" authors: - name: "Jessica Manfre" job_title: "Coast Guard Spouse, Contributor" link: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/authors/jessicamanfre/" url: "https://www.wearethemighty.com/mighty-movies/retrograde/" categories: - "Afghanistan War" - "Entertainment" - "History" - "Movies and TV" - "War History" --- # ‘Retrograde’ tells the story of the Afghanistan withdrawal and reminds the world the war isn’t truly over ![A split image with two scenes: On the left, a military vehicle with an American flag mounted on it is parked in a desert area with a soldier standing nearby, and a missile or rocket is seen launching in the distance. On the right, a man dressed in tactical gear, holding a helmet in one hand and a camera with a microphone in the other, stands on a concrete surface with military helicopters in the background. The two scenes are separated by vertical red, white, and blue stripes.]() Director and Filmmaker Matthew Heineman is known for his extraordinary Academy Award nominated and Golden Globe winning films. Managing his emotions in the delicate and traumatizing situations he shoots in is a must behind the camera. Documenting the fall of Afghanistan in National Geographic’s *Retrograde* made it impossible. ![heineman retrograde]() *Heineman in Afghanistan (Photo courtesy of National Geographic)* Initially, the film wasn’t about the heartbreaking humanitarian crisis that developed but about Green Berets on a deployment. “I don't really go into films like this with a preordained agenda that I'm trying to fulfill or a script that I'm following. The original intent of the film was to document a deployment, both from the soldiers perspective and then the families back home,” Heineman explained. The Army Special Forces (Green Berets) are known for being “quiet professionals." That they’d allow a film crew to come behind the curtain was almost unprecedented. “It took years to gain the trust of the Green Beret community and then COVID happened. By the time we deployed it was January 2021 and it became clear that actually we can tell the story of the end of the war in Afghanistan through the prism of this ‘last’ deployment,” he shared. As you begin the documentary, you hear President George W. Bush speaking from the treaty room announcing the launch of the War on Terror in Afghanistan. This is followed by commentary from President Obama, President Trump and ends with President Biden asking how many more Americans they should be asked to send in order to fight Afghanistan’s Civil War. https://youtu.be/CufeaxpsTTQ Viewers are brought to the gates of the Kabul Airport in August of 2021. Afghan civilians barely react as they watch their countrymen gunned down by the Taliban as they try to seek escape before the military withdraws. The bleakness of their reality is nothing new. A flashback to January 2021 reveals the last ODA attached to 10th Special Forces Group as they prepare for what is likely to be their last mission in Afghanistan. “I think my style of filmmaking of not taking sides of not bringing politics into it was something that was obviously very attractive to them,” Heineman said. “It's an observational type of filmmaking that allows real life to unfold in real time.” *Retrograde* shows the deep relationship between the ODA and the Afghan National Army. Viewers will also witness the moment the team was recalled from training the partner force. Though they were sent back home, Heineman and his crew received permission to embed with one of the leaders of the Afghan National Army, General Sami Sadat. As the Taliban got closer and closer to Kabul Airport, there was a frenzy and dread in the air. ![A group of soldiers wearing camouflage uniforms and tactical gear stand closely together indoors. One soldier in the center has a patch on his vest labeled "SADAT" and sunglasses resting on his head. Some soldiers wear helmets with mounted equipment, and the lighting is warm and dim. The background is plain and beige.]() ![A tan military armored vehicle with a large spare tire mounted on the back and an American flag flying on a pole. A soldier in camouflage stands near the vehicle facing a desert landscape where smoke and fire indicate active rocket or missile launches. The sky is clear and grayish.]() ![A soldier in camouflage uniform and a tan beret is saluting, facing a formation of soldiers standing in rows on a sandy terrain. Another soldier in camouflage with a green beret is also saluting beside him. In the background, military vehicles and more soldiers are lined up on a raised area, with some vehicles displaying flags. The scene appears to be a formal military assembly or ceremony.]() Time begins to run out. “Never in my life have I ever cried while filming. But that scene at the Abbey Gate with thousands of Afghan civilians and partner forces [desperately trying]() to flee? All of them sitting in a four foot sewage ditch, crammed like sardines with 18-year-old Marines who weren't even alive when the Twin Towers fell making these impossible decisions on who to let and who not to let in,” he explained. “The Taliban was watching us at gunpoint 100 yards away and ISIS was circling in suicide vests waiting to attack, which happened 12 hours later in the very spot that I was filming in. It was very surreal and the tears streamed down my face. I had to keep wiping the lens down and all I could think was, ‘What have we done here’.” Making *Retrograde* took Heineman on an emotional and psychological journey he wasn’t prepared for. Watching the story of the end of the war in Afghanistan fade from the news cycle two months after 13 service members were killed defending Abbey Gate was also hard to swallow, he admitted. “I really wanted people from all political persuasions to come together, come to this film and have an entry point. There was a real conscientious decision not to get into the finger pointing game. There's enough of that,” Heineman said. “My job was to be there on the ground and document this moment in history.” *Retrograde* isn’t an attempt to play the blame game of the war or cast it as a mistake. Instead, it offers the human perspective on the toll it took and the people *still* suffering because of it. The film is an intimate look behind the curtain of the Afghanistan War, forcing viewers to acknowledge it hasn’t truly ended. ![retrograde sun]() *(Matthew Heineman/OTP)* “These are people that we fought alongside, many of whom were living in danger, living in safe houses are now being hunted down by the Taliban. These are American partners, NATO partners and friends,” Heineman said. “I hope that the film can help jump start another conversation around this war and the people we left behind.” To watch *Retrograde*, [click here](). ## Author Jessica is a clinical social worker, writer, and military advocate whose work for We Are The Mighty focuses on the lived realities of military service, especially the moments that come after the uniform comes off. Her writing centers on veterans, military spouses, and families navigating transition, identity, resilience, and healing, often blending clinical insight with deeply human storytelling. She covers leadership, service, community impact, and the cultural shifts shaping today’s military-connected population, frequently drawing from interviews with senior military leaders, influencers, and grassroots voices across the space. Beyond writing, Jessica serves as Director of MilSpouseFest and works as a Military Events Manager, leading national campaigns and large-scale events that bring military communities together. She is the author of Never Alone (Moody Publishers) and is currently developing her next book, After the Battle. When she’s not writing or advocating, Jessica can usually be found with a good cup of coffee in hand, tackling her ever-growing TBR, hiking with her dog, or spending quality time with her family. She is a proud military spouse of an active-duty U.S. Coast Guard member and draws inspiration from the resilience, humor, and heart of military life every day. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Twitter]() [Instagram]()