Jirga (2018)

Directed by

Benjamin Gilmour

Genre

drama film

Country

Australia

Runtime

1h 18m

Rated

M

Rating

6.7 of 10 from 12 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

A former Australian soldier travels to a remote region of Afghanistan to personally ask for forgiveness from the family of a man he killed during the war. He faces the danger of the landscape and the threat of revenge while carrying a heavy burden of guilt.

contemplativesombervisually starkunderstatedsuspensefulgroundedintimateemotionally rawunflinching

What happens

Jirga (Pashto: جرګه, meaning "meeting") is a 2018 Australian drama film written and directed by Benjamin Gilmour and produced by John Maynard. It stars Sam Smith as a former Australian soldier returning to Afghanistan to seek forgiveness from the family of a man he killed while serving in the war. The film was shot under extreme circumstances, in dangerous locations and with assistance from the local people of Afghanistan. Deemed too politically divisive to be produced in Pakistan, the film moved production at the last minute to Afghanistan and shot in one of the most dangerous regions in the world, Kandahar Province. Gilmour sought to create a film which showed the beauty of the Afghan country and people as well as highlight the detrimental impact of the war in Afghanistan on Western and Afghan people. He also wanted to create a film in which the line between truth and fiction was blurred. Gilmour stated he wished to "make an audience feel like they're not quite sure if they're watching a documentary or a drama." It was selected as the Australian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, but it was not nominated. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• Slam (2018)
• Flotsam Jetsam (2018)
• All These Creatures (2018)
• Hidden Light (2018)
• Cerulean Blue (2018)
• Birdie (2018)
• Fragmentary (2017)
• Just Between Us (2018)