For four years, War Story has been bringing very personal stories of armed conflict, told entirely by the men and women who were there. The films are based on in depth interviews (no narration or pundits) and high def archive. The result is a vivid and often very emotional series.
This year, we made six films about the Canadian involvement in Afghanistan. Canada’s first real combat mission in half a century began in 2001, after the 9/11 attacks, to support the US and NATO in rooting out Al Qaeda and defeating the Taliban. It ended ten hard years later. Only now is it possible to look back at Canada’s longest war as history, rather than journalism.
The stories range from the sniper who made the longest kill shot in history, to the tragedy of deadly friendly fire accidents. We show the struggles of a soldier trying to bring help to a distant village, but never knowing who is friend and who is foe. We cover the terror of combat in the biggest battle NATO has ever fought – one which saved Kandahar from falling back into the hands of the Taliban.
We hear from generals and grunts, from brave interpreters and tough sergeants, from those who rescued the wounded, and from those who grieved the dead.
WAR STORY: AFGHANISTAN is personal film storytelling at its most immediate. Because the series relies on the people who lived the war to tell their stories, its power and emotion comes from their honesty.
The additional clips on the web are interview segments that amplify and give context to the war. Graeme Smith talks about how the West misunderstood Afghanistan. Major General Fraser and Dr. Ray Wiss talk of the problems with the war on opium. There are stories of combat, the struggles of an interpreter and the moral purpose of the war. We hope these selections provide a deeper understanding of Canada’s engagement in Afghanistan.
