“If there’s a place worse than hell, we are in it!”. This is the desperate cry from two soldiers stranded in the Sonoran Desert amidst an unforgiving terrain, piercing sunlight, and non-existent rations in the gritty historical drama, The War Between. Conceived by award-winning Colombian-American director Deborah Correa, The War Between tells the story of an unlikely friendship between two men who started as enemies but slowly let their guards down once they realized that they’re more alike than they once believed. Bittersweet and deeply moving, The War Between is a stoic yet compassionate story of survival.

Set in 1862 during the American Civil War, The War Between weaves through tough terrain and harsh elements of the south-central Arizona desert. The protagonists are two soldiers, one fighting for the North and one for the South. Corporal Israel Terry (Damian Conrad-Davis) and Private Moses Jennings (Sam Bullington) find themselves deserted by their troops and left alone to fend for themselves. Happenstance brings them face to face, and with that comes a total lack of trust toward the motivations and intentions of each other. Soon enough, they realize that in order to survive they must stick together, despite contradictory beliefs, bigotries, and self-sabotaging tendencies.

Visually, the craftsmanship is quite impressive, especially given the fact that the filmmakers only had fifteen days to shoot, which is a tight schedule indeed. The abundant use of handheld, close-up shots by cinematographer Evan Jake Cohen, succeeds in bringing the audience into the action, and the camerawork feels almost Terrence Malick-like in its composition and fluidity, lending both a mysterious and organic quality. Adding its own compelling emotional language to the film is the score by composer Dennis Dreith. Reminiscent of an Ennio Morricone Western film, Dreith’s music is almost operatic in its structure and gives a sense of adventure to every scene. Of course, bringing it all to life are Damian Conrad-Davis and Sam Bullington, whose impressive performances convey the complex emotional arc that is paramount to the film’s success.

The biggest surprise comes in the form of a written statement at the end of the film indicating that the production team worked with actual veterans in the cast and crew. The message states, “We believe in and support healing through art and storytelling.” Onscreen and off, The War Between stands as a testament to camaraderie in the face of hardship, proving that unity, not division, is the only way through. The War Between premieres on April 7th at the Phoenix Film Festival.