Armadillo documentary full biography
Armadillo - Second Biggest Danish Doc Ever
WRITTEN BY: Annika Pham
25 JUNE 2010Janus Metz's Armadillo, winner of a Grand Prix at the last Critics' Week in Cannes, has become the second most successful Danish documentary film ever on Danish screens. Behind the film is Frithjof Film, a company headed by the young entrepreneurial Ronnie Fridthjof, (photo) who has shown flair in connecting with the audience with only a handful of feature length films made over the last three years. The producer spoke to us.
For Fridthjof, the fact that so many people have seen Armadillo and are part of the debate - about war in Afghanistan - is a success not only for the film but for Denmark as a nation. ARMADILLO is an upfront account of growing cynicism and adrenaline addiction for young soldiers at war. Mads and Daniel are on their first mission in Helmand, Afghanistan. Their platoon is stationed in Camp Armadillo, right on the Helmand frontline, fighting tough battles against the Taliban. The soldiers are there to help the Afghan people, but as fighting gets tougher and operations increasingly hairy, Mads, Daniel and their friends become cynical, widening the gap between themselves and the Afghan civilisation. Mistrust and paranoia set in causing alienation and disillusion. Armadillo is a journey into the soldier’s mind and a unique film on the mythological story of man and war, staged in its contemporary version in Afghanistan. ARMADILLO is an upfront account of growing cynicism and adrenaline addiction for young soldiers at war. Mads and Daniel are on their first mission in Helmand, Afghanistan. Their platoon is stationed in Camp Armadillo, right on the Helmand frontline, fighting tough battles against the Taliban. The soldiers are there to help the Afghan people, but as fighting gets tougher and operations increasingly hairy, Mads, Daniel and their friends become cynical, widening the gap between themselves and the Afghan civilisation. Mistrust and paranoia set in causing alienation and disillusion. Armadillo is a journey into the soldier’s mind and a unique film on the mythological story of man and war, staged in its contemporary version in Afghanistan.
Armadillo is likely to reach 100,000 admissions in Denmark. You must be overjoyed...
Of course I'm very happy that Armadillo - a documentary film - is scoring like a feature film. In fact our strategy with Nordisk Film was precisely to position Armadillo as a film based on reality, not like a documentary. After the film's great launch in Cannes and media frenzy, Sara Stockmann (head of Fridthjof Film Doc) and I agreed with Nordisk Film to release it earlier than scheduled. The release - with digital prints - enabled us to move things faster.
Do you know in which other territories the film will be released? It will open late August in Norway (Arthaus) and in Sweden (Folkets Bio). Other territories that have acquired the film include Iceland (Sena), France (Distrib Films) and the UK (Soda Pictures).
Armadillo has shown the power of film as a medium and its ability to touch people's consciousness. Was that your intention from the very outset?
Armadillo was part of six documentaries in the series Vores krig (Love & War) produced for TV2 Danmark that focused on war in Afghanistan from a human perspective. From the very beginning my idea with Kasper Torsting was to make documentary films that would make people react to war. My feeling was that fact-based docum Armadillo
Armadillo (2010 film)
2010 Danish film
| Armadillo | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Janus Metz |
| Produced by | Ronnie Fridthjof |
| Cinematography | Lars Skree |
| Edited by | Per K. Kirkegaard |
| Music by | Uno Helmersson |
Release dates |
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Running time | 101 minutes |
| Country | Denmark |
| Language | Danish |
Armadillo is a 2010 Danish documentary film about Danish soldiers in the War in Afghanistan directed by Janus Metz. The film follows a group of soldiers from the Guard Hussars Regiment who are on their first mission in Helmand Province at a forward operating base near Gereshk named FOB Armadillo. The film premièred in the Critics' Week section at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Critics' Week Grand Prix.
The Critics' Week screening described the film as "a journey into the soldiers' minds and a unique film on the mythological story of man and war staged in its contemporary version in Afghanistan".
Synopsis
The film starts with the soldiers' last days in Denmark before leaving for Afghanistan. Scenes include their emotional goodbyes as well as a party with a striptease dancer.
They are posted for a six-month tour at FOB Armadillo, a forward operating base in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, where some 270 Danish and British soldiers are based.
The film shows the soldiers going out on patrol. They hand out candy and gifts to the children. They question a local man about the Taliban who declines to cooperate and they return to base without incident.
The film depicts them as dividing their leisure time between maintaining their equipment and working out, calling home, playing shooter games and watching pornographic videos amongst other things.
Later in the tour, the soldiers encounter armed resistance from the Taliban. In the ensuing battles, buildings are damaged and locals report livestock killed. Some locals r .