Beyond 'us and them'? National and global themes in Danish Afghanistan films

This article analyses the Afghan war in Danish documentaries, fictional films, and television. The Afghan war is a landmark in Danish media and public debate. The first war with Danish forces in direct combat on foreign ground raised a new agenda on national and global dimensions of war. Susanne Bier's Brothers (2004) was the first film to address this theme, followed by Christoffer Guldbrandsen's political documentary The Secret War (2006). Janus Metz's documentary film Armadillo (2010) and Tobias Lindholm's fictional film The War (2015) include the perspective of the soldier, the home front, and the civilians. Two other documentaries, Eva Mulvad's Enemies of Happiness (2006) and Nagieb Khaja's My Afghanistan. Life in the Forbidden Zone (2012), go deep into everyday life in Afghanistan. Together these films ask how we can deal with war and realities in a global world and how films can make us better understand global others.

Automated summary

This article analyzes the portrayal of the Afghan war in Danish documentaries, fictional films, and television. These films not only focus on the national and global dimensions of the war, but also provide insights into the daily lives of Afghan soldiers, civilians, and families. They explore how we can navigate war and realities in a globalized world, and how films can help us better understand people from different parts of the globe.