SECTIONS // OFFICIAL COMPETITION FEATURE LENGTH

Tell spring not to come this year

FIRST PRIZE OF THE JURY
Saeed Taji Farouky, Michael McEvoy
82' / 2015 / United Kingdom
Web: www.tellspringfilm.com
Dari, Pashto
English and spanish subtitled

Audience vote 7.42

Tell Spring Not To Come This Year follows two soldiers from the Afghan National Army over the course of their first year fighting without NATO support, to finally tell the story of the war through Afghan eyes. This is an intimate film about the human side of combat, told from a previously unseen perspective, that represents the deep personal motivations, desires and struggles of a band of fighting men on the frontline of the 'War on Terror'.
In Helmand's Gereshk River Valley, where fertile farmland meets the harsh desert, lives Heavy Weapons Company, 3rd Brigade, 215 Corps of the Afghan National Army. This is one of Afghanistan's most dangerous regions, nicknamed 'bomb alley' by NATO troops. In this remote outpost we find the experienced Captain Jalaluddin and the new recruit, Private Sunnatullah. 
Tell Spring Not To Come This Year follows these two men and their Company for one year as they live, train, and fight side-by-side. Through their stories, the film examines what Afghanistan's war really looks like from the perspective of those fighting it. Tell Spring Not To Come This Year takes an immersive, humanist approach to cinematic storytelling, getting under the surface to experience all aspects of the soldiers' lives.

Main Festivals & Awards

Berlin International Film Festival – February 2015 : winner: Amnesty International Award, winner: Panorama Audience Award

Director's Biography

Saeed Taji Farouky is an award-winning documentary filmmaker, photographer and writer. He is a Senior Fellow with TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) and was previously named Artist-In-Residence at Tate Britain and the British Museum. His films have been broadcast on Channel 4 (UK), ARTE / ZDF and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation amongst others.
Michael McEvoy has recently returned from a nine-month deployment to Helmand province, Afghanistan where he was employed as a Dari and Pashto-speaking Liaison Officer and advisor embedded with the 3rd Brigade, 215 Corps of the Afghan National Army. He was presented with the Lee Platt’s Human Intelligence award as well as a Joint Commander's Commendation for his work in Afghanistan improving relations between the Afghan Army and British forces.