Home truths

National Geographic drama The Long Road Home recalls the real story of April 4, 2004, when a group of US soldiers on a peacekeeping mission in Iraq were ambushed by insurgents, leading to a harrowing rescue and resulting in the deaths of several soldiers on what would become known as Black Sunday.

The ensemble cast includes Michael Kelly, Jeremy Sisto, Jason Ritter, Noel Fisher, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Kate Bosworth, Sarah Wayne Callies and EJ Bonilla.

In this DQTV interview, creator and showrunner Mikko Alanne recalls how he was inspired by Martha Raddatz’s factual book about the events. He talks about balancing the stories of the soldiers with those of the families they left behind in the US, and the responsibility he carried by dramatising a true story.

Alanne also discusses blending narrative and documentary filmmaking techniques in The Long Road Home and the support provided by Nat Geo.

The Long Road Home is produced by Phoenix Pictures for National Geographic and distributed by Fox Networks Group Content Distribution.

tagged in: Mikko Alanne, National Geographic, The Long Road Home