Drama
JIRGA – Wednesday 28thNovember 2018
Directed by Benjamin Gilmour
Australia
Drama/War
78 mins
M
A modern morality tale about a former Australian soldier, Mike, who returns to Afghanistan to find the family of a civilian he accidentally killed during the war. Seeking forgiveness, he puts his life in the hands of the village justice system – the Jirga.
Jirga is the official submission of Australia for the ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ category of the 91st Academy Awards in 2019.
REVIEWS:
“It’s a fine film, even without the backstory. Gilmour shows a real empathy with the Afghani non-actors. Their character and traditions are part of the subject, and both are surprising.” Paul Byrnes, Sydney Morning Herald
“Actually shot in Pakistan and Afghanistan, with some performers who themselves are former Taliban, there is an undeniable power to Jirga… But a cursory step back reminds us that Jirga would not pass muster in the court of basic plausibility.” – Michael Sicinski, Cinema Scope
“Its very existence seems to constitute an act of compassion.”- Luke Buckmaster, The Guardian