Greetings again from the darkness. It's not unusual for a documentary film to be a passion project, and some even act as a form of therapy. These are both true for this 16-minute doc short produced and narrated by journalist Lynzy Billing, and co-directed by Almudena Toral and Mauricio Rodriguez Pons.
When she was two years old, a night raid on her home in Afghanistan took the lives of Lynzy's mother and sister. Her father later died while fighting. Ultimately adopted and raised in Pakistan, Lynzy became a respected journalist and decided to investigate what happened to her family. Not knowing was the worst punishment.
Narrated by Lynzy, the film is mostly animated, which doesn't reduce the impact in the least. She explains how 'night raids' are a form of strategic psychological warfare, as they occur when folks are at their most vulnerable. During her investigation, her interviews with two 'Zero Unit' Special Ops soldiers reveal the information that spurs much of the anti-United States sentiment in Afghanistan.
Although it's Lynzy's investigative reporting that provides the substance of the story, it's her connection and backstory that make it so personal.
Screening at Tribeca 2023.