Canada’s role in Afghanistan explored in new doc

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This article was published 17/09/2024 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

After the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, Canadian Armed Forces joined international efforts to secure and rebuild Afghanistan.

Fallen Heroes is a compelling and poignant 90-minute documentary about that experience.

Directed by Robert Curtin and produced by Karen Storwick, both of whom live in Calgary, an earlier 30-minute version of the film came out a couple of years ago and was shown at the ANAVETS hall on Portage Avenue.

“The film highlights the war’s impact on Canadians and is a tribute to the courage and bravery of our men and women in uniform,” says Storwick, who is principal and partner of Combined Forces Production Collaborative, as well as a historian, promoter and producer.

More than 40,000 Canadian Armed Forces members served in Afghanistan over the 14-year campaign.

“Very few Canadians understand why we were in Afghanistan and why it was important, yet it was Canada’s longest war,” Storwick says via email.

“Fallen Heroes is the template for a 10-part documentary series on the war in Afghanistan preserving this little-known history for future generations.”

Combined Forces Production Collaborative was the most significant operation for the Canadian Armed Forces in two generations, she says.

“Along with our NATO partners, we were commanding combat operations in Kandahar, ships in the Persian Gulf, and, unprecedented for Canada, we had generals in command of all NATO forces. It was an unusual time in Canadian history where both governing and opposition parties were working in concert in support of the war. All political obstacles and red tape were lifted to equip our soldiers in the field as effectively as possible.”

For an extended period of five years, Canada alone was responsible for security in the most volatile region of the country where we were punching far above our weight, she says.

“We had an important seat at the table and gained an immeasurable amount of respect from other NATO nations. Our efforts were second to none,” Storwick says.

“Canada was the only country with tanks in the field, our pilots were the most daring, our snipers the best in the world, our infantry incredibly courageous and kinetic.”

Our soldiers brought their values into the field, which is uniquely Canadian, she adds.

“In many cases, our soldiers would read the Qur’an ahead of their deployment in order to better understand the people they were going over to help.”

Storwick also points to the tragic cost: Canada lost 159 soldiers and four civilians in Afghanistan. Three times that number came home with physical wounds and countless more with moral and stress injuries.

More than 200 Canadian soldiers have died by suicide since returning home from the war.

“Ramp ceremonies to send our fallen home to their families became an all-too-common reminder of the service and sacrifice of those in uniform. Remembering those that we lost, through projects like Fallen Heroes, is crucial,” says Col. Ryan Stimpson, Chief of Staff, 1 Canadian Air Division.

The trouble in Afghanistan has continued, despite past international efforts.

On Aug. 15, 2021, the Taliban marched into Kabul after a 3 1/2-month offensive, creating chaos, destruction, fear and heartache for the people of Afghanistan following a hasty and poorly planned withdrawal of American forces, Storwick says.

“On the same day, president (Ashraf) Ghani fled the country and the government of Canada closed its embassy. In a shocking twist, the fate of the Afghan people was cruelly rewritten. A generation of Afghans who had grown up in a relatively stable, fledgling democracy had their future wiped out in an instant,” she says.

Fallen Heroes will have its Winnipeg première on Wednesday at the Landmark Cinemas Grant Park at 7 p.m., for one night only. A longer screening run is being planned later this year at another venue.

arts@freepress.mb.ca