Kimberly Peirce goes to war

Kimberly Peirce must like controversy. She’s developing the film Stop-Loss, which takes a critical peek at a US Army law which forces demobbed soldiers to return to duty.

Hardly used before the casualty-heavy Iraq conflict, the Stop-Loss statute is a subject close to Peirce’s heart: her own brother was recalled to Iraq after serving his term. The director was planning a documentary on the subject, but decided to turn the idea into a dramatic script.

The movie will follow a trooper returning home to Texas, who’s called back to Iraq. He’s forced to go on the run when he refuses the order. “This is a story about great guys who do the right thing by fighting for this country, and are then done wrong,” says Peirce of the film. “The fatality rates for second and third tours are very high, and you understand why these guys feel like they've being asked to play another round of Russian roulette."