29 August 2009

Emergency ~ Beyond Jung (War) in Afghanistan

Cambridge's CCTV just replayed the documentary Jung (War) in the Land of the Mujahedin by three Italian filmmakers, Fabrizio Lazzaretti, Giuseppe Petitto, and Albert Vendemmiati. Read here the review by Stuart Klawans in The Nation. The central story is that of Italian NGO Emergency, its founder Dr Gino Strada and his efforts together with colleague Kate Rowlands and their larger team to build a hospital in Charikar, Afghanistan in 1999-2000. This pre-9/11 period saw intense clashes between the Taleban and the Northern Alliance forces. Caught in the cross-fire, of course, were millions of Afghan civilians. Gunshot victims, kids mangled by land mines, women hit by mortar rounds. And they come for help to the Emergency facilities. Watch here Strada tell his story, drawing from his book Green Parrots: A War Surgeon's Diary... And see here the Emergency summary promo video...

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