AWARDS
TRAILER
SYNOPSIS
Since the precipitous retreat of the U.S. forces from Afghanistan in 2021 and the subsequent power takeover by the Taliban, the Afghans who helped the Allies are being hunted down and killed.
“More Than Brothers” portrays the personal sacrifices and political engagement of two Green Berets in a race against time to save the Afghans who kept them safe during their deployments, giving a voice to their Afghan allies whose lives have been completely uprooted since the chaotic withdrawal.
This short documentary is a deeply mournful film that highlights the human cost of political decisions.
QUOTES
from the protagonists
“These people fought alongside us, they bled with us, they died alongside us.
To leave them out there is just unacceptable.”
“The unstated reality of their service was that they were there to hold the mine detector so that an American didn’t have to. Because of the nature of their profession, every life of a member of the National Mine Reduction Group (NMRG) lost in combat allowed for a Green Beret or explosive ordnance disposal Technician to return home.”
“These guys were literally there to take an improvised explosive device on our behalf. There was an unspoken pact that they would take this risk in exchange for us providing help down the road. That puts a pretty substantial moral burden on our shoulders.”
“It’s really hard for me to enjoy life right now… I feel guilty. I am out here in America. I know guys that are hidden in cold dark rooms in Afghanistan praying that the Taliban don’t knock on their door and pull them out in the street and kill them.”
WHY NOW?
The topic is extremely timely as many thousands of Afghans who have collaborated with the Allied Forces are being hunted down, tortured and killed by the Taliban regime that took over the country in August of 2021.
Whilst America’s longest war has been forgotten by many and its failures thrown under the carpet by the U.S. Government, many (former and current) members of the U.S. Forces stepped up, starting private humanitarian initiatives to bring their former comrades to safety. To get these people and their families to safety is a matter of life and death, and every day counts.
The toll this personal engagement takes on those veterans is immeasurable: careers ruined, relationship and financial problems, mental health issues are things they all experienced and continue to deal with.
There is mounting pressure from veteran and human rights organizations and civil society for the U.S. Government to take responsibility for the Afghans who had collaborated with their military and to honor their promise that was to bring them to safety. To date, all initiatives to speed up the process for the Afghan allies to obtain Special Immigration Visas have failed to pass the U.S. Congress.
Over 130,000 visa procedures are currently still pending.
WHO WERE THE NATIONAL MINE REDUCTION GROUP(NMRG)?
⊕ The National Mine Reduction Group were Afghans under the direct employment of US Army Special Forces. They were responsible for detecting and clearing improvised explosive devices (IEDs), landmines and explosive munitions, thus saving the lives of US service members.
⊕ The NMRG did not only have the most dangerous job in Afghanistan, they were also the most trusted partners to US Army Green Berets: In fact, they were the only Afghans allowed to carry weapons on US bases, and all underwent extensive vetting procedures.
ABOUT THE 1208 FOUNDATION
The 1208 FOUNDATION is a nonprofit organization run by current and former Green Berets and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Technicians who served in Afghanistan and are seeking to uphold America’s moral obligation to its closest allies.
The foundation provides life-saving assistance to its former Afghan partners of US Army Special Forces and advocates for their right to a US special immigration visa. Amongst these allies are interpreters and members of the National Mine Reduction Group (NMRG), Afghan citizens who put their lives on the line by clearing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) for America’s Special Forces.
The 1208 Foundation made its mission to ensure that America honors its promise by ensuring the welfare of these allies who have been left behind and offer them a chance at a better life by:
Providing direct aid
Providing direct immigration assistance
Advocate for Special Immigration Visa (SIV) prioritization
Build awareness
MEET THE TEAM
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ANDREA VON SIEBENTHAL
PRODUCER, DIRECTOR, EDITOR
Andrea is a storyteller at heart. A former tv journalist, spokesperson and communicator in the humanitarian realm, she believes that stories have the power to create empathy and thus promote real change.
Born and raised in Switzerland, she has worked extensively in post-conflict areas where she has witnessed the long-term effects of armed conflict first-hand.
The topics of war and its consequences on civilians have always been at the heart of her work. Her desire to shed a light on forgotten conflicts and the human cost of geopolitical decisions continues to inform her documentary projects.
Andrea holds a Master's degree in International Conflict Journalism, a CAS in Press Relations from the Swiss School of Journalism MAZ and a certificate in Documentary Filmmaking from the New York Film Academy. Previous productions of hers have won gold awards at both the New York Festivals TV & Film Awards and the Internationale Wirtschaftsfilmtage.
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JOSEPH CLEARY
DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
A Telly Award-winning British Director & DP out of NYC, Joe specializes in documentary and branded content.
He is a New York Film Academy documentary graduate and his work has been featured at the biggest U.S. documentary film festival, DOC NYC.
Joe has created content for billion-dollar healthcare companies, small niche brands, charities as well as various performance artists.
www.ambitiousengine.com
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KAMI FARES
2nd DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Kami Fares is an italian-palestinian director and cinematographer.
A New York Film Academy documentary graduate, he has worked in the most diverse areas of the audio-visual world, but considers himself a documentary filmmaker first and foremost.
Winner of several film festivals in his native Italy (Festival di Lampedusa, Festival Arcipelago, Premio Marzocco), his documentary work has so far centered around the topics of refugees, mental health and the incarceration system in Italy.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Lengh> 23:30 min
Shooting format> Digital, UHD/ 4K
Audio format> 5.1
Aspect ratio> 16:9
Original languages> English, Dari
