Zwischen Welten

In 2001, U.S. troops and their NATO allies conquered Kunduz, one of Taliban strongholds in Afghanistan. Director Feo Aladag was right there in the heart of Afghan mountains, shooting combat actions of a Bundeswehr platoon that took part in the ISAF mission under NATO command. German troops withdrew from Afghanistan this year and the fi lm received the green light from Germany's Ministry of Defence. Jesper, a platoon commander whose brother has been killed in action during the mission, leads his platoon to a remote hamlet where they are supposed to form in defence against Taliban fi ghters. His close associate, interpreter Tarik, is viewed as a traitor by the locals for his cooperation with western invaders. "There have been so many armies here, and all of them have left in the end," – this comment by one of the Afghani characters precisely describes defi ance of the local population and the movie's main message. The Middle East is probably a region where even state-ofthe-art weaponry does not guarantee a military victory. (IFF Bratislava)