Presented at the Berlin International Film Festival, TELL SPRING NOT TO COME THIS YEAR proved to be a true documentary on the war in Afghanistan, receiving the Amnesty International Film Prize and the Panorama Audience Award.

The film follows one unit of the Afghan National Army (ANA) during its first mission without the aid of the NATO’s International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) that left the Country in 2014 after five years of training. What makes this documentary relevant and different from the many glazed war movies produced by Hollywood is, maybe for the first time, this particularly brutal chapter of the world’s history is not told from the American point of view, but instead from the people directly affected by it.

Produced by Tourist With a Typewriter Ltd., the independent production company co-created by the co-director Saeed Taji Farouky, the film focuses on the Afghan war through the people of the country, broken and divided by the conflict, and the local heroes fighting against the Taleban. For some joining the army wasn’t a choice but an obligation; to others, it was a way to show their sense of duty towards their country and faith. For all, however, it was the easy way to earn money and help their families live through these desperate times. All feel the deep responsibility to protect their country, to always be faithful to their God and protect their people from the Taleban.

…they are only human, they are still learning and training and, most of all, they are afraid.

The camera weaves through every moment, from the mundane action of cleaning the carpets to the dangerous missions of fighting on the line. Instead of of heroism and big explosions the reality of war is exposed: how soldiers face the fear of dying alone, of seeing their friends being wounded or die in the act of duty. All these emotions are delivered by the meaningful close ups to the face of each soldier, showing that they are only human, that they are still learning and training and, most of all, that they are afraid.

In showing their side the audience is made aware that while Western cultures describe the war in Afghanistan as bringing freedom and democracy to native populations, they didn’t come just to help – they intervene to show their power, to gain, not caring about Afghanistan and its freedom. Several times the commander of the ANA’s unit repeats on camera that they want the American troops to pull out. However, he also recognises that the time is not right and that it’s too soon, that they need more support and training. To some extent they are abandoned, physically evident when the compounds left bare and useless by NATO are inspected; or when, during a mission, help does not come as quickly as it did when they were assisted by the American soldiers.

TELL SPRING NOT TO COME THIS YEAR is carried out in the original Afghani language, Dari. However, moments remove the translations of the dialogues among soldiers. The images alone are strong enough to deliver the message. The scenes become more poignant and the risk to distract the audience from what is happening by adding subtitles is avoided leaving the images recorded to deliver the message clearly.

Farouky’s and Mike McEvoy’s documentary can be considered as the real voice of Afghanistan telling the true version of a story too often told by others.

httpvh://youtu.be/3A3r-D3uFSA