Kajaki (2015)

The year is 2006, and the setting is the Kajaki Dam in the Helmand province of Afghanistan. A small British contingent is protecting the dam against the Taliban. The film depicts the harrowing tale of the small band of brothers of "Kilo 2" who walk into a minefield in the wadi.The level of realism in this film is startling. The dialogue sounds almost like a candid recording of the private conversation of a group of soldiers. The filming of the mine explosions and mutilations is a harrowing experience. One can only marvel at the skills of the medics working under pressure, as well as the courage of the rescue team. Everything about the film was credible.Beyond the heroic tale of survival of the men of Kilo 2, the film offers insights in the nature of the war in Afghanistan that has continued unabated since 2001. But the minefields depicted in the film were originally set by the Soviets during their failed invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Those mines remained active until the tragedy in the wadi in 2006.A film that is difficult to watch, "Kilo Two Bravo" is a moving record of an incident that needs to be told. We are reminded that the subtitle of the film is "The True Story."

Kajaki was released in November of 2014 in the United Kingdom before being released in the United States as Kilo Two Bravo one year later. The film is based on the true story of a British Army unit (call sign: Kilo Two Bravo), which was part of the 3rd Battalion, the Parachute Regiment, positioned near the Kajaki dam in Afghanistan. On September 6, 2006, the unit was on a routine patrol when they entered a dried out riverbed. When one soldier steps on a landmine, the others rush to his aid and find that they are surrounded by unmarked mines.Kilo Two Bravo is the directorial debut of Paul Katis, which (not surprisingly), earned him a nomination for a British Academy Film Award. This film is realistic in so many ways – from the landscape, realistic gore and violence, all the way down to the emotions and language of its characters. Be warned, this film is not for the faint of heart.

Well, this is about a group of British soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and trapped in a mine field. It's just that, a true story, as simple as gripping and unexpected.People, as me, could think why don't just use a mine detector, a robot, but the answer it is simple, the group got trapped off guard and without the necessary tools nearby and in the encampment. Moreover, some mines are made with minimal metal content, hard to detect, they are indeed not much powerful but enough to injure or kill you. Sure, there could be other chances, but the war isn't always like a movie and this one show, with no caricatures, what really happen to these soldiers at that particular juncture.The only flaws in my opinion are that it does not enter much into the characters, which are not really explored in depth, and that the film does not show much more than this unique single event.Another gory aspect of the war.7+/10

This will grip you like King Kong gripping you while he bites your head off. Forget Hollywood. This a brilliant film made to the highest standards by a tiny company. The "characters" are real. Everything depicted is as it happened. Everything said is, more or less, what the soldiers actually said. As usual these days, some of the dialogue is hard to grasp at first, but persevere. Bear with the shocks and the tension. And the anguish. And the dismay. Then marvel at the courage, self-sacrifice & tenacity of our troops. And the heroism of certain Americans ('nuff said about them: I don't want to spoil it for you). Then get angry at the failure of our support systems.