As part of the NAU International Film Series: Asia: Identity and Agency, “Armadillo”

Denmark 2010, Dir. Janus Metz

“Armadillo” is a raw and unforgettable journey into the war in Afghanistan. Mads and Daniel are Danish troops joining the NATO mission in Helmand Province. Their platoon is stationed in Camp Armadillo, with Taliban fighters a stone’s throw away. Filmmaker Janus Metz is deeply embedded with the platoon, documenting first-hand the daily grind of modern warfare, tense waiting followed by intense flurries of bloodshed. During gunfights his camera is right at the front line, recording the mortal dangers the troops face daily. Unable to tell Afghan civilians apart from combatants, the platoon’s skepticism of the humanitarian effort grows, as well as their yearning for the black and white morality of battle. Ethical lines are blurred, and a sense of besieged paranoia sets in to their warrior mentality. “Armadillo” is a harrowing journey into the minds of soldiers during a war without end. (100 min.)