Written, Directed & Filmed by Emre MirzaEdited by Alex Hutchinson
TITLE: Hashashin ENG
LOGLINE: ’When nothing was Real, everything was permitted..’
PRESS: "The new arrival wore the clothes of an Afghan and the billowing beard of an ethnic Pashtun. But the passport he slid across the front desk read "United States of America."
- Karl Vick - WASHINGTON POST
FORMAT: Feature Length Docudrama – English Language
STATUS: Post-Production
SYNOPSIS:
Hashashin is a film, which mirrors the real life journey of an ex-CIA agent, retracing the steps of John Turner’s mission to assassinate an “enemy” in the rugged terrain outside the Kandahar region of Southern Afghanistan in May of 2002. , Hashashin explores an agent’s conflict between fulfilling his duty and to his political stance regarding American foreign policy in Afghanistan during its war against the Taliban regime.
Turner’s inner-monologue brings to light how American foreign policy during the war profoundly lacked cultural sensitivity as well as any real interest in Afghanistan’s long-term national sovereignty. He blames American media for siding with the military, failing to show a more balanced understanding of what was happening on the ground. It becomes clear to Turner that America’s battle and presence was opportunistically motivated by its thirst for oil.
Main Actor
Chris Turner was a cameraman for the CIA in the Russian afghan war and spent 10 years in the Kandahar region documenting the use of American weapons given to the then Afghan Mujahideen. He developed a strong bond with the culture and the Pashtun tribes with whom he lived as well as the mysticism surrounding 'Malang' culture of holy men who were also known to be assassins or the 'Hashashin'. After the war he moved to Jamaica and finally back to his native city of Kansas where he remained until September 11. It was after this event, almost 20 years later, that he decided that it was his responsibility to not allow the afghan culture to be misrepresented as it was in the American media. He embarked on a journey back to Kandahar to make a documentary, which became the film 'Hashashin'.