Eye in the Sky (2015)

A little girl unknowingly takes position outside the compound selling bread, inside the blast zone of the missile. While the bombers get ready inside, the only man available on the ground tries to buy all her bread, but is chased off by soldiers who recognise him. The camera inside runs out of batteries, leaving the increasingly tense observers unsure when they will have to take action.

After the decision to approve the strike is repeatedly passed around to other people, the colonel in charge gets one of her subordinates to retarget the missile's impact point, and also deliberately reports the lower risk of 45% injury in the area where the girl is, rather than the provided estimate of 45-65%, knowing that will persuade the politicians. The missile is fired while the girl is still in the blast zone. However with seconds to impact, the man who was chased away manages to get a local boy to find her and buy the bread. She packs up and starts moving away, but too slowly and is caught in the explosion. The primary target is still mobile, so a second missile launch is ordered, impacting while the girl's parents rush to her aid, but not causing any more harm. The girl is rushed to hospital, but dies - everyone following from above is unaware of this, but knew she was seriously injured.

Jon Sandys ★