Plot
Kajaki Dam 2006. A company of young British soldiers encounter an unexpected, terrifying enemy. A dried-out river bed, and under every step the possibility of an anti-personnel mine. A mine that could cost you your leg - or your life.
Release Year: 2014
Rating: 7.1/10 (3,058 voted)
Critic's Score: /100
Director: Paul Katis
Stars: David Elliot, Mark Stanley, Scott Kyle
Storyline
In September 2006, a 3 man patrol of Paras sets off from their outpost overlooking Kajaki Dam in southern Afghanistan, to engage the Taliban. As they make their way across a dried out river bed one of them steps on a mine left from the Russian occupation some 25 years before. His colleagues rush to his aid only to find they are surrounded by mines and every move threatens serious injury or death.
Writers: Tom Williams, Tom Williams
Cast: David Elliot -
Mark Wright
Mark Stanley -
Tug
Scott Kyle -
Stu Pearson
Benjamin O'Mahony -
Stu Hale
Bryan Parry -
Jonesy
Liam Ainsworth -
Ken Barlow
Andy Gibbins -
Smudge
John Doughty -
Dave Prosser
Paul Luebke -
Jay Davis
Thomas Davison -
Jar Head
Grant Kilburn -
Alex Craig
Robert Mitchell -
Faz
Jon-Paul Bell -
Luke Mauro
Malachi Kirby -
Snoop
Ali Cook -
Spud McMellon
Taglines:
A film about bravery, courage, heroism and the ultimate sacrifice.
Like most people with military experience I find conventional war films
a bit irritating – Implausible plot lines and ridiculous dialogue along
with inaccurate uniforms and weapons tend to detract from the overall
impression. The recently released movie Kajaki – the true story is, in
the exception to this trend, and an important contribution to the
national mood of reflection on the Afghan conflict.
Every aspect of the film is grittily authentic, right down to the
banter between the blokes, the detail on the T shirts and the tattoos.
The incident will be familiar to many – in 2006 a patrol from 3 Para
stationed at the Kajaki dam wander inadvertently into a legacy
minefield from the soviet era with the inevitable unpleasant
consequences. What sets this film apart from the crowd is the complete
lack of sanitised pastiche violence and a storyline that sticks as
closely as possible to the known facts, having had access and
co-operation from the surviving members of the patrol, if not from the
MOD itself. The movie scrupulously avoids being drawn into discussions
about the controversies of the Afghan campaign and the level of
resources supplied to the deployed forces, preferring instead to focus
completely on the individual soldiers and the events of the day.
As a surgeon with extensive experience of landmine injuries, I was
hugely impressed with the level of detail in the depiction and
treatment of the injuries and the completely unsentimental depiction of
the actions that day. Writing in the Sun, Jeremy Clarkson explained
that even though he had taken an interest in the Afghan conflict and
had been out to see soldiers on deployment, he had absolutely no idea
what the reality of battle and injury entailed until he saw the film. I
am certain that many civilians and even some serving servicemen will
feel the same after seeing the Kajaki movie.
Having been released at the same time as the annual ceremonies of
remembrance and, co-incidentally, at the same time as the centenary of
the First world war and the draw-down from Afghanistan, it is important
to remind the UK population that war is not all about artistic
installations at the Tower of London, beautiful though those may be.
With the Army having the lowest headcount in over a century, the
population it serves is more disconnected than ever from the military –
Kajaki conveniently reminds everyone about the realities of conflict.
Dan Jarvis MP, himself a former Parachute Regiment officer brought up
this very point at Defence Questions in the House of Commons and
secured an assurance from the Defence Secretary that he would see the
film in person. It should be required viewing for a far wider audience.
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