Shoot Down (2008)

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• Project Phase: 
• Release Date: 2008-01-25 - NY and/or LA
• Distributor(s): 
• Film Genre(s): Documentary
• Country: United States
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SYNOPSIS

Every day, a sophisticated array of electronic tracking equipment monitors the vast perimeter of the U.S. It operates 24/7, protecting against potential military threats, countering smugglers, and assuring the safety of commercial aircraft. But on February 24th, 1996, the agencies monitoring these systems were asked to focus on the Florida Straits, the body of water that separates the U.S. from Cuba. At 3 PM, the reason for this attention became clear. Three X's of light slowly traced across an Air Force radar screen, representing tiny civilian Cessnas flown by Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based humanitarian organization formed to rescue Cuban raft refugees. Suddenly, the Cessnas were joined by two unidentified white marks traveling at over 400 miles per hour; Cuban MiGs. The MiGs quickly overtook the Cessnas, and at 3:21 PM, the first X vanished from the screen. Seven minutes later the second also disappeared. The third plane, piloted by Brothers to the Rescue founder Jose Basulto, miraculously escaped the pursuing MiGs. The unthinkable had occurred. The Cuban government authorized its military to destroy civilian American aircraft over international waters. Two Cessnas were blown from the sky, four men were dead, four families torn apart, and the U.S. was forced to respond to this act of terror. Radio communications between the Cessnas, U.S. and Cuban ground control, and MiG pilots tell us what happened in the air that day, and extensive news coverage tells us what happened in the aftermath. But the full story of this tragic event has never been told – and its consequences still reverberate on the international stage. Shoot Down combines the re-creation of the incident with a backstory that includes heroic rescues, Cuban spies, and a decade long quest for justice. The unfolding narrative reveals a taut and suspenseful progression of conspiracy, confrontation and tragedy.

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