THE LAND OF THE ENLIGHTENED: A DOCUMENTARY ABOUT AFGHANISTAN. (2016) WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY PIETER-JAN DE PUE. VOICE-OVER BY HERWIG DEWEERDT. REVIEW BY SANDRA HARRIS. ©
I'm ashamed to admit that my ignorance concerning the war in Afghanistan knows no bounds. It's one of those things that you see on the News, like the Syrian refugee crisis, that you only glance at in passing because it doesn't seem to relate to your life as much as other things.
I always think that it's because these countries are so far away that we feel like this. When stuff happens on our own doorsteps, then we sit up and take notice. It's not right, I know, but it seems to be how things are.
Well, I'm pleased to announce that I know a lot more about both the country of Afghanistan and the war and the people there since watching this excellent drama-documentary hybrid. I've only just come back from watching it at my local cinema, in fact, and so you'll forgive me if my head's still in the clouds a bit.
There I was, enjoying a lovely Saturday morning and a rare chunk of free time. After a successful trip to the optician, during which I received some good news for a bloody change, and some book-shopping followed by a modest repast of noodles and spring rolls at the noodle place, what was on my mind...?
Well, clearly I was thinking, oh, I know, I'll follow up this delightful morning by taking a cinematic odyssey into the heart of war-torn Afghanistan, haha. What could be more obvious? How else would you proceed...? It's elementary, my dear Watson...!
Dying of thirst after the noodles, I took my place with the other five people who'd come to see the film (What? It's, like, the sixth last Saturday before Christmas or something, everyone's out bloody shopping!) and prepared to forget my troubles for a wee while by losing myself in other peoples', haha.
I mean no disrespect by that, by the way. Sometimes, learning about the trials and tribulations of other folks' lives can put your own petty problems into perspective.
Anyway, in the film, it's 2014 and the American soldiers who were sent into Afghanistan after September the 11th, 2001 to put manners on the Taliban, are preparing to leave the country they've occupied for thirteen years.
Although, just to add that the then President, Barack Obama, stipulated at the time that the US would maintain a presence there until the end of 2016, which is obviously coming up quite soon. I wonder if that will all still stand under President-Elect Donald Trump? I still can't get used to saying that, by the way. It's so weird, isn't it?
I felt sorry for the poor American lads we saw high up in the mountains at their lookout-spot. I know they're supposed to be keeping a lookout for enemies and whatnot but God love them, it looked like such a soul-destroyingly boring job.
Fair play to them though for leaving their loved ones at home and going to a strange country to fight the powers of evil. It takes balls to do that, and they seem to have done it without much support from the taciturn locals, judging by this documentary anyway.
They keep themselves busy between-times by working out, playing the guitar and chatting and having a laugh amongst themselves, but they sure must have felt very far away from home up in those bleak, bleak mountains miles from anywhere. It would really make you grateful for what you've got. See what I mean about putting things into perspective?
Anyway, if you've seen the poster for the movie, you'll see that there's a row of heavily-armed young fellas all lined up staring into the camera. As the American soldiers gradually pull out (Oooh-er, why does that sound so sexual...?), the local lads are thrilled to be getting their country back again.
They move in packs or gangs, travelling on horses, and are armed to the teeth with Kalashnikovs
and grenades and what have you, stuff you don't normally expect to see kids with. Though they're only teenaged or even pre-teen boys, they're not to be messed with. They control the trade routes and deal in explosives, drugs and precious stones (there was mention of lapis-lazuli).
People come to them with their problems as if they're Marlon Brando in THE GODFATHER and, if you've got the weight of ten or fifteen bullets in opium to give them, they'll help you. It's a little unnerving to think of kids wielding so much power.
They seem to operate without benefit of any parental supervision whatsoever and, apparently, the cold icy deserts are their schools and playgrounds alike. Where- or even who- are their parents? Is this their life, scouring the harsh hostile desert lands for bombs and bullets left over from the fighting so that they can sell them? It doesn't seem right.
They do have hope for their future, however. The lead boy even hopes to marry the girl of his choice once the country is their own again. (By the way, she looks about eight, is that legal...?) According to the film, Afghanistan seems to be a country that doesn't always belong solely to the Afghanistan people and that seems to be the thrust of this whole film.
The new young up-and-coming generation, these young lads in the movie, they want their country back. It's a country that was originally intended to be God's personal garden, according to the rather beautiful story we're told at the outset, and they want it for themselves. That's all.
The scenery is bleak and harsh but oh my God, that starry, starry night...! That stunning sky has got to be seen to be believed. I'll be honest with you, I wouldn't play this film at a hen-night, but lovers of the documentary genre or people like myself who like to educate themselves on other countries or different peoples will enjoy THE LAND OF THE ENLIGHTENED and should definitely check it out.
Actually, if I'd seen the film yesterday rather than today, it would have been making its debut here in Ireland and the director, Pieter-Jan De Pue, would have been present for a post-screening Question And Answer session. I love these. They always make me feel like I'm getting value for money. I missed it anyway, goddammit to hell and back...! I wasn't even really bloody doing anything yesterday, just pissing about, haha.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY OF SANDRA HARRIS.
Sandra Harris is a Dublin-based novelist, film blogger and movie reviewer. She has studied Creative Writing and Film-Making. She has published a number of e-books on the following topics: horror film reviews, multi-genre film reviews, womens' fiction, erotic fiction, erotic horror fiction and erotic poetry. Several new books are currently in the pipeline. You can browse or buy any of Sandra's books by following the link below straight to her Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B015GDE5RO
You can contact Sandra at:
http://sandrafirstruleoffilmclubharris.wordpress.com
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