DIRECTOR: Feo Aladag
PRODUCER: Feo Aladag, Hans W. Geissendörfer
SCREENPLAY: Feo Aladag, Matthias Kock, Judith Kaufmann
PHOTOGRAPHY: Judith Kaufmann
EDITOR: Andrea Mertens
PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Silke Buhr
COSTUME DESIGNERS: Gabrielle Reumer
MUSIC: ​Karim Sebastian Elias, Jan A.P. Kaczmarek
WITH: Ronald Zehrfeld (Hauptmann Jesper Rubin), Mohsin Ahmady (Tarik Rahimi), Saida Barmaki (Nala Tarik's sister), Salam Yousefzai (Haroon), Burghart Klaußner (Oberst Haar), Felix Kramer (Oliver Kremmer), Pit Bukowski (Teckl)

REVIEW

“Jesper is a soldier in the German army. Although his brother was killed whilst serving in Afghanistan, he nevertheless reports for a new tour of duty in this war zone. He and his unit are to protect a remote village from the Taliban. One of the people accompanying Jesper is a young interpreter, Tarik, whose job includes mediating between soldiers and villagers. Both sides have a hard time trying to overcome the differences in their respective ways of life. Jesper must gain the trust of both villagers and the allied Arbaki militia and his nerves are soon on edge. He finds himself increasingly morally conflicted as a result of his superiors’ orders. His association with the Germans means Tarik’s life is constantly under threat, but when Tarik begins to fear for his sister’s safety, Jesper has to make a decision.

Feo Aladag uses this portrait of an ISAF soldier in Afghanistan to explore questions of affinity and otherness, trust and failure. How humane can your actions be if you are bound by the workings of a strict military bureaucracy? What remains of the ideals of human dignity when you are caught up in a daily struggle for survival?”

— Berlin Film Festival 2014

FILM SOCIETY SCREENINGS*

Queenstown     
Tuesday 15 September, 8.15pm

Nelson     
Tuesday 22 September, 6.00pm

Whanganui     
Monday 28 September, 7.00pm

Hamilton     
Monday 5 October, 8.00pm
​
Palmerston North     
Monday 12 October, 6.00pm

Auckland     
Monday 19 October, 6.30pm
​
​*Non-members welcome by donation (notes only please)​
See more GERMAN CINEMA >>
German Cinema selection presented in co-operation with the Goethe Institut