Synopsis
This is the epic story of Afghanistan seen through the eyes of an Afghan warrior, independent filmmakers and a small group of independent journalists, two who died covering the story. The filmmakers spent more than 20 years documenting the Soviet occupation, the exile of millions of refugees maimed by Soviet mines, a violent civil war, the fatal alliance of the Taliban with al-Qaeda, the invasion by United States forces and people still determined to survive to this day.
Filmmakers Jim Burroughs and Suzanne Bauman have a wealth of footage from more than 20 years of following this story, as well as compelling footage from the 1950s and ‘60s showing life in Afghanistan before the war. The witnesses recall events and tell the story over time growing older through the film. The documentary serves as a testament to the true story of Afghanistan. No insight comes without understanding the past. A history that is not understood is one that will come back to cast a long shadow.
Bios
Jim Burroughs: Producer, Director, Cinematographer:
Jim Burroughs is a producer, director, and cameraman who has filmed on six continents, documenting wars, expeditions, profiling artists and political leaders. He was an Academy Award Nominee for “Against Wind and Tide,” and has produced specials for PBS, ABC, A&E, and Channel 4.
His documentary directing credits include “Quest for the Ark”, “Man-Eaters of Tsavo,” “Child in the Wind,” “Cuba in the Shadow of Doubt,” “The Closing Door,” and “Ark of the Covenant.” A composer and songwriter as well, he is a graduate of USC School of Cinema.
Suzanne Bauman: Producer, Director of Editor
Suzanne Bauman is a producer/director of more than eighty documentary films and series. She produced and directed “Jackie Behind the Myth,” a two-hour special on Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis for PBS, and is now producing and directing “The Writing Code,” a series about the history of writing from ancient times to the internet. An Academy Award Nominee for “Against Wind and Tide,” her films are distributed worldwide, including “Suleyman the Magnificent,” “Cuba in the Shadow of Doubt,” “La Belle Epoque,” “The Artist Was a Woman,” Light of the Gods,” and “The Women of Summer.” She holds an MFA in film from New York University.