In November 2001 the much heralded bombing of Kabul began.
Kabul Emergency Room is the work of two young Italian
filmmakers, Fabrizio Lazzeretti and Alberto Vendemmiati, who
have made a previous critically acclaimed film about
Afghanistan.
It's remarkable for the bravery it reveals - among the
surgeons and staff, all of them Europeans, working for the
NGO, Emergency. But one can also be impressed by the bravery
of the two filmmakers who also put their lives at risk. The
film is strongest for its refusal to strike postures - it
insists, minute by minute, on the awfulness of aerial
bombardment, without indicting its authors.
But this is one of those rare films that not only forces
you to watch, but asks whether you shouldn't be changing your
mind. Warmly recommended, even for saloon bar patriots.
