Jirga main backdrop
Jirga main poster

6.7/10 • 12

2018-06-081h 18m

DramaWar

Made under extraordinary, and extremely dangerous, conditions, Jirga tells the emotional story of a former Australian soldier who travels to Afghanistan to seek forgiveness.

Directors
Benjamin Gilmour
Writters
Benjamin Gilmour
Editors
Benjamin Gilmour, Nikki Stevens

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Sam Smith

    Sam Smith

    Mike Wheeler

  2. Mohammad Mosam

    Mohammad Mosam

    Dress Shop Owner

  3. Kefayat Lag Humani

    Kefayat Lag Humani

    Antiques Dealer

  4. Naqibullah Khan Shinwari

    Naqibullah Khan Shinwari

    Hotel Receptionist

  5. Sharif Ullah

    Sharif Ullah

    Bell Boy

  6. Muhammad Shah Majroh

    Muhammad Shah Majroh

    Colonel Rafiq

  7. Sher Alam Miskeen Ustad

    Sher Alam Miskeen Ustad

    Taxi Driver

  8. Samad Khan

    Samad Khan

    Roadblock Taliban

  9. Amir Shah Talash

    Amir Shah Talash

    Amir Tailbani

Reviews1

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Peter McGinn Avatar

Peter McGinn

Jul 21, 2021

9/10

There are movies in every genre that slow down action, perhaps by looking more deeply at motives or characters, or by lingering on scenes longer, or a combination of both. These movies are often panned by impatient fans of those genres, who use descriptive phrases such as “Nothing happens!” Oddly, I find I usually quite enjoy those same movies, though admittedly I try not to watch them when I am weary, just as I would not read Dickens when my eyes are getting tired. And perhaps those fans have a point, for if you slow down an action film, for example, when does it stop being an action film? Jirga is listed as a war movie, and in a way, it is. The main character is an Australian who fought in the war in Afghanistan and now has returned to apologize to the widow of a non-combatant killed in the heat of a hurried, frenzied military operation carried out with others. Jirga is not what I would consider compelling viewing, but I was drawn in by the way it sculpted a more complex picture of his captors as he tried to convince them of his plan when several of the captors simply wanted to kill him as a matter of course. They are not just two-dimensional violent terrorist types. Well, not all of them, as I said. In the version I watched, only some of the dialogue spoken in the Afghan Pashtu language was translated. I assume this is on purpose, as we get hard-coded captions for key portions. Perhaps we are along for the ride with Mike, experiencing his attempts to understand what is being said going only by tone and body language, with his life hanging in the balance. If that was the intention, it is effective. The landscape is at the same time sparse and lovely,the muted action still suspenseful, and overall well worth my time.

Media

  • Jirga poster
  • Jirga poster

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Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
redemptionafghanistanafghanistan war (2001-2021)