A scene from ARMADILLO, a film directed by Janus Metz. Courtesy Fridthjof Film. All rights reserved.
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Armadillo (2010)
Opened: 09/24/2010 Limited
| Limited | 09/24/2010 | |
| Sunset 5/LA | 09/24/2010 - 09/30/2010 | 7 days |
| IFC Center | 04/15/2011 - 04/28/2011 | 14 days |
| DVD | 10/18/2011 |
Trailer: Click for trailer
Websites: Home
Genre: Danish War Documentary
Rated: Unrated
Synopsis
ARMADILLO is an upfront account of growing cynicism and adrenaline addiction for young soldiers at war.
Mads and Daniel are on their first mission in Helmand, Afghanistan. Their platoon is stationed in Camp Armadillo, right on the Helmand frontline, fighting tough battles against the Taliban. The soldiers are there to help the Afghan people, but as fighting gets tougher and operations increasingly hairy, Mads, Daniel and their friends become cynical, widening the gap between themselves and the Afghan civilisation. Mistrust and paranoia set in causing alienation and disillusion.
Armadillo is a journey into the soldier's mind and a unique film on the mythological story of man and war, staged in its contemporary version in Afghanistan.
About the Director
Janus Metz was born in Denmark and received a master's degree in communication and international development studies from Roskilde University. He worked as a documentary researcher before moving to South Africa, where he worked on the television drama Soul City and made his debut documentary short Township Boys (2006). His most recent work includes Love on Delivery (2008) and Ticket to Paradise (2008), both films on marriage migration, prostitution and globalization.
Director's Statement
With Armadillo, I was curious to explore how the micro level of war -- where human interaction takes place -- affects one of the greatest conflicts of our time. How politics meets practice in the war zone. In the early research for the project, when I first met the young soldiers, I was surprised that the majority of those who had already been to war had a desire to return. Their experiences were violent and bloody, but they all talked with great excitement about battle and about the strong bonds and feelings of unity with their fellow soldiers.
Everyday life at home seemed to have become boring in comparison with the intensity of war. It seemed like an addiction. This puzzled me to the extent that I wanted to try and put myself in the soldiers' shoes. Why do they want to go to war? Is it to change the world and make a difference? Is it excitement? Personal ambitions? Is it something else... and how do these things affect each other as well as the conflict at large. What impact does this "addiction" have on the situation in Afghanistan? How does it affect the soldiers' ability to assess a difficult situation? What does it mean to the way local Afghans perceive the foreigners in their country?
Does it have an effect the other way round -- on the nations that lead these "democracy wars" and what does it tell us about young people of our time? I've always been interested in making film about people who go through life altering experiences. It involves a "rite of passage" where they are ultimately faced with themselves and their own humanity -- it is universal and basic. In the context of war and the young men who are fighting them, I was interested to find out how the perception of masculinity, the good, the bad, the civilized and the barbaric, is reflected in action and how these concepts are adapted in this "coming of age" story.
Trailer
