By Shamim Ahad
War photojournalist Mark Walsh (Colin Farrell) and his colleague David go to Kurdistan to chronicle the latest on the frontlines of the 1988 Kurd-Iraqi conflict . When they arrive, the two men are greeted by incoming Kurdish casualties. A cave has been turned into a makeshift medical unit, void of running water or any significant medical supplies. Mark photographs the sole Kurdish doctor (Branko Djuric) as he triages the injured. As their first day comes to a close, David realizes that he does not have stomach for this kind of work and decides to leave the next day before the next offensive begins. Mark initially talks David out of leaving, but after a close call during an ambush, David decides to return to his wife and baby to be.
After Mark is injured gravely, he is brought back to the Kurdish doctor in the cave. He recovers somewhat from his injuries and returns to Ireland, only to discover that his friend David never returned. Mark’s spouse Elena (Paz Vega) is happy to have him at home, but she starts to worry when Mark becomes more withdrawn. Although Mark’s injuries should be healing, his limp and moods are getting worse. As the weeks wear on and there is still no sign of David, it becomes apparent that Mark may know more about his friend’s disappearance than originally assumed.
Told in graphic detail using a series of flashbacks and interesting cinematography, director Danis Tanovic examines how people deal with the arbitrariness of life and death during war. Christopher Lee gives a noteworthy performance as Elena’s grandfather who uses his skills as a psychiatrist to help Mark deal with his emotional injuries.
Cast: Colin Farrell, Paz Vega, Christopher Lee, Kelly Reilly, Jamie Sives, Juliet Stevenson
Language: English
Runtime: 99 minutes