Radical media, politics and culture.

Filmmaker Garrett Scott, 1968-2006

Filmmaker Garrett Scott, 1968–2006

Friends and colleagues,
We were deeply saddened to learn of filmmaker Garrett Scott's unexpected death in San Diego Thursday, March 2, at the young age of 37. He will be remembered, among other things, as a genuine and heartfelt person whose care and compassion extended beyond his friends to a commitment to understanding and improving the world. He was a generous, caring and courageous spirit, and these personal qualities defined his influential and award-winning filmmaking. Scott is best known for two acclaimed documentary films, Cul de Sac: A Suburban War Story, and Occupation:Dreamland. The former, Scott's debut film documenting the bizarre episode of a San Diego man's tour of suburban destruction in a stolen US Army tank, was well reviewed and screened at the 2002 Toronto Film Festival. Occupation: Dreamland, which Scott co-directed with Ian Olds (who also edited and co-wrote Cul de Sac), was a rich and complicated examination of American soldiers' torturous and often conflicted experiences in Iraq. The film received wide attention, including an Independent Spirit Award and a New York Times Critic's pick. Before his death, Scott was busy developing new projects, including a documentary film about the US in Afghanistan, and a historical documentary about San Francisco in the 1970s. Garrett was born and raised in San Diego California, attended graduate school at University of Wisconsin, and was living in New York City. We encourage you to share Garrett's work with as many people as possible, so that his important contributions will live on. Below are some links to reviews and interviews with Garrett Scott.


Christopher Cook


New York Times review of Occupation: Dreamland
Feature interview with Filmmaker Magazine:, Film Buzz review of Occupation: Dreamland, Interview with Buzz Flash, Trailer of Occupation: Dreamland