Armadillo (film)
| Armadillo | |
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| Directed by | Janus Metz |
| Produced by | Ronnie Fridthjof |
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Running time
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101 minutes |
| Country | Denmark |
| Language | Danish |
Armadillo is a 2010 Danish documentary film about Danish soldiers in the War in Afghanistan directed by Janus Metz. The film follows a group of soldiers from the Guard Hussars Regiment who are on their first mission in Helmand Province at a forward operating base near Gereshk named FOB Armadillo. The film premièred at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010. It was awarded the Grand Prix de la Semaine de la Critique.
The Semaine de la Critique screening described the film as "a journey into the soldiers' minds and a unique film on the mythological story of man and war staged in its contemporary version in Afghanistan".
The film starts with the soldiers' last days in Denmark before leaving for Afghanistan. Scenes include their emotional goodbyes as well as a party with a striptease dancer.
They are posted for a six-month tour at FOB Armadillo, a forward operating base in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, where some 270 Danish and British soldiers are based.
The film shows the soldiers going out on patrol. They hand out candy and gifts to the children. They question a local man about the Taliban who declines to cooperate and they return to base without incident.
The film depicts them as dividing their leisure time between maintaining their equipment and working out, calling home, playing shooter games and watching pornographic videos amongst other things.
Later in the tour the soldiers encounter armed resistance from the Taliban. In the ensuing battles buildings are damaged and locals report livestock killed. Some locals receive compensations from the base.
A Danish commander becomes a victim of a roadside bomb and is evacuated to receive treatment for a skull fracture. He recovers and returns to Armadillo. Three Danish soldiers from a neighbouring camp die in an IED incident and the film records a memorial service for them. Directly following this there is a discussion over whether ambushing the Taliban will work and subsequently volunteers are recruited for a night patrol.
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