Armadillo
VN:F [1.9.8_1114]
Rating: 4.0/5 (1 vote cast)

In February 2009 a group of Danish soldiers accompanied by documentary filmmaker Janus Metz arrived at Armadillo, an army base in the southern Afghan province of Helmand. Metz and cameraman Lars Skree spent six months following the lives of young soldiers situated less than a kilometer away from Taliban positions. The outcome of their work is a gripping and highly authentic war drama that was justly awarded the Grand Prix de la Semaine de la Critique at this year's Cannes film festival. But it also provoked furious debate in Denmark concerning the controversial behavior of certain Danish soldiers during a shootout with Taliban fighters. The filmmakers repeatedly risked their lives shooting this tense, brilliantly edited, and visually sophisticated probe into the psychology of young men in the midst of a senseless war whose victims are primarily local villagers. Yet more disturbing than scenes in which Taliban bullets whiz past their cameras is the footage of the young soldiers as each tries, in his own way, to come to terms with putting his life constantly on the line.
Why It's FilmBuff
This is a very well made and insightful war film. It has such a universal view of war, and it is so well crafted, it can feel like a fiction film at times. Still, it hooks us in with the real horror of fighting a war in a foreign land.

Tell us what you think
105 mins - ,
Crew:
  • Director:
    Janus Metz Pedersen
  • Writer:
    Kasper Torsting
  • Producers:
    Ronnie Fridthjof
  • Producers:
    Sara Stockmann
Film Reviews:
  • "You emerge shaken and bothered, which may sound like a reason not to see the movie. It is actually the opposite."
    New York Times
  • "...the result is a story of earthshaking importance."
    Filmcritic.com
Film Festivals:
  • Cannes Film Festival
Production Company:
Fridthjof Film