A complex look at the consequences of war and its aftereffects, JIRGA tells the story of a former Australian soldier (Sam Smith), who returns to Afghanistan to find the family of a civilian he accidentally killed. Seeking forgiveness, he puts his life in the hands of the village justice system – the Jirga.
Writer/director Benjamin Gilmour (SON OF A LION) and star Sam Smith filmed JIRGA under dangerous conditions close to Taliban and ISIS-controlled areas in Afghanistan, and worked with a cast of incredibly natural non-actors, including some who were former Taliban or Mujahedeen members themselves.
The film premiered at the Sydney Film Festival before heading to the Toronto International Film Festival and a host of others. The Los Angeles Time called the film “So charged with unspoken gravity it lands with earth-shattering force.”
DIRECTED BY BENJAMIN GILMOUR
AUSTRALIA, AFGHANISTAN | 2018 | ENGLISH AND PASHTO WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
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DIRECTED BY DIONNE EDWARDS
UNITED KINGDOM | 2016 | ENGLISH LANGUAGE
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DIRECTED BY MARIE-ELSA SGUALDO
SWITZERLAND | 2013 | FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES