The Recruiter

Uncle Sam wants you - and so does Sgt. First Class Clay Usie, one of the most successful recruiters in U.S. Army history.

With the military facing its toughest period of enlistment due to mounting dangers in Iraq, The Recruiter from HBO Documentary Films(r) takes viewers to a Louisiana coastal community, where we witness firsthand Sgt. Usie's intense struggle to enlist new soldiers. Among the young people on whom the charismatic recruiter sets his sights are four teenagers with different reasons and rationales for joining the Army. The film shows the new recruits as Sgt. Usie prepares them for boot camp and hopefully a successful transition from civilians to soldiers, offering a glimpse of the human drama surrounding the decision to enlist.[Official Selection 2008 Sundance Film Festival laurels]

As the U.S. Army makes a concerted effort to entice new recruits into service, filmmaker Edet Belzberg spends some quality time with Louisiana's Sergeant First Class Clay Usie - the man widely credited as one of the most successful military recruiters in the entire country. The country is at war, and our military is being stretched increasingly thin. Sergeant Utie is just the man to ensure that we have enough soldiers to keep on fighting, but how does one man convince another man to make the ultimate sacrifice' In this verite-style film, Belzberg spends some quality time with Sergeant Utie as he continues his tireless mission of recruiting soldiers in his hometown of Houma, Louisiana. As Sergeant Utie's story unfolds, Belzberg also trains his lens on teenage recruits Lauren, Matt, and Bobby as they finish up their final semester of high school and prepare for boot camp. Later, after graduation, Belzberg follows the trio to basic training in order to document their transition from students to soldiers. The film screened in competition at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival under the title AN AMERICAN SOLDIER.