DOCUMENTARY, 92 MINUTES, DIGITAL HIGH DEF / 35MM FILM
SMILE&WAVE is a cinematographic journey through post-war Afghanistan as seen through the eyes of the Dutch peacekeeping force. “Misterrr, misterrr, how’r’you, how’r’you!” Laughing and waving children barely conceal the fact that Dutch soldiers on a peacekeeping mission are confronted daily with a surrealistic landscape imprinted with violence, hatred and fundamentalism. Without any prior war experience, the peacekeepers are cast into a chaotic post-war setting featuring rocket-propelled missile attacks, a successful suicide assault, and a student demonstration in which the local police fire on and kill at least seven Afghan contemporaries.
The ISAF mandate is limited. The peacekeeping force operates exclusively in Kabul, whereby the local authorities retain full power over the security situation. The Second-in-command of the peacekeeping brigade, Colonel Oude Lohuis, is confronted with an extremely shadowy situation: “We know that quite a number of the daily threats (including rocket-propelled missile attacks) are initiated by the Afghan security community itself - the secret services, the police and the army - for no other reason than to commit ISAF to staying here.”
Private Eggink(18): “When I came here, I actually left my youth behind…” Shortly before his departure for Kabul, Eggink discovered that his seventeen-year old girlfriend was pregnant. By the end of the mission, the young man from the staunch little protestant village of Staphorst quips; “I’ve started questioning the fundamental value of religion...as far as I can see it’s brought about nothing but war and misery”.
SMILE&WAVESergeant Winus Dorenbos, commander of the Alfa Group, has begun to question his orders to project the image of a friendly, non-occupying force by ‘smiling and waving’ at the local population. After being called back from the escalating student uprising, he reflects; “We should have fucking been there. We’re too scared to do anything - we’re too scared to make decisions, and we’re too scared to take risks. It’s Srebrenica all over again. The Dutch are the champions of the world when it comes to making compromises...”
So it’s always a problem with their husbands? That’s the reason they’re all here?” Warrant-officer Rijken is incredulous when, during a guided tour of the local female prison, he learns from Police Commissioner Galil that most of the women in here are confined to serving extensive terms with their children due to domestic strife. The women beg ISAF to help them, but, once again, ISAF can do little more than listen to their story and shrug with a helpless sense of defeat.The film takes the viewer on a journey through the confusing and often bizarre reality in which the Dutch peacekeeping forces are required to perform their daily duties. Trained for combat, these soldiers act as gatekeepers to the city: Peacekeepers in a Culture Clash. The average Afghan is certain of one thing only: “The moment ISAF leaves, a hundred different groupings will rise up and move straight back into the power vacuum. And the war will start all over again.”
BIG RIVER Pictures presents
in co-production with NCRV Television and RNTV
a MARIJKE JONGBLOED film
a VIK FRANKE production
director of photography
FRANK MOLL
sound recording
HUGO HELMOND
editor
JOS DRIESSEN
music composer
FONS MERKIES
sound design
MARCO VERMAAS
written & directed
MARIJKE JONGBLOED
additional editing
JP LUIJSTERBURG
assistant editor
MARCO MOCKING
additional interviews
VIK FRANKE
additional photography
MARIO VAN DEN DUNGEN
mini-DV
VIK FRANKE
musicians
MARIEKE DE BRUYN
HIKE GRAAFLAND
MICHIEL EEKHOF
RONALD LAMERS
GILES FRANCES
DERK LOTTMAN
CHRISTIAAN VAN HEMERT
LEENDERT HAAKSMA
MOHAMMED BENCHAKHCHAKH
RUUD VERHULST
still photographer
STEVE CONNORS
commisioning editor NCRV
JELLE PETER DE RUITER
production NCRV
YOLANDE VAN DER BLIJ
commisioning editor RNTV
AAD VAN IERLAND
commisioning editor Filmfund
KEES RYNINKS
consultant
ERIK DISSELHOF
on-line editors
SEBAS DE KREEK
MANO BAKKER
title design
MARCO VERMAAS
general assistant-Netherlands
PETER “DE SWAMI” VAN ROOY
post production assistant
KARLIJN DE BLÉCOURT
driver/gopher Afghanistan
ALI NASIR
interpreter Afghanistan
NOOR MOHAMMED
translators Netherlands
OPHRAN
AJMAAL ABDI
VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO:
The ALFA GROUP:
Sergeant WINUS DORENBOS; Corporal MAIKEL TANGER; Pfc. RICHARD HERBEN; Corporal RUDY DECKERS; Pfc JARNO EGGINK; Pfc MARCEL CUPERUS; Pfc JOHANNES van der WAL; Corporal ELROY GROENEVELD; Pfc JEROEN van de VELDEN; Pfc MATTHIJS BAKKER; Pfc KRIS RUSSCHER; Sergeant KOEN CURFS
NOOR MOHAMMED
Colonel HENK DE KOFF
Colonel HERMAN OUDE LOHUIS
Warrant Officer HENK RIJKEN
General KHALIL
General AFZAL AMAN
General KABIR
Colonel RASHID
Lieutenant Colonel ROEL KRIMP
Major MARTIN LINDEBOOM
MARGJE EGGINK
And the detained women and children of the Kabul Police Women’s Prison
The producers wish to express their gratitude for the coöperation of
NETHERLANDS MINISTRY OF DEFENSE
13th AIR MOBILE BRIGADE
KMNB – Kabul Multi National Brigade
KEES RYNINKS – Dutch Filmfund
JANINE HAGE – CoBO FUND
CORDAID / CARITAS
HEALTHNET-WILLEM VAN DE PUT
5th DIVISION BAGRAMI
KABUL GARRISON
Special thanks to:
Lieutenant Colonel MICHAEL CALMEYER MEIJBURG
Major HAROLD DE JONG
Colonel GER PASTOOR
General TON STRIK
General FREERS (germany)
General PETER VAN UHM
Ritmeester CAS SCHREURS
Majoor DICK VAN ROSSEN
Colonel WOLFGANG SEIBERT
Colonel DIGUTSCH
Captain JAN STELLER
Captain FARIBA BOENDER
Lieutenant Colonel Dr. ROBERT GOREN
HILLIE MOLENAAR
TESSA TERPSTRA
HANS KUITERT
GER VAN DONGEN †
Salima Padamsey
Jan Bouwman
Ab v.d.Giessen
CATACOMB STUDIO – Jan & Raoul
Dr. Van Thiel
Dr.Willem Vogelsang – Rijksmuseum v Volkenkunde Leiden
Van Ditmar Boekimport BV – “Bush at War”
NCRV Netwerk - Karel van den Berg / Robert ter Weijden
IDFA FORUM
Jan Rofekamp
Peter Gielissen
Ruud Dendryver
Heinrich Dahms
cameras & lenses
CAM-A-LOT
post-production sound
STUDIO VERMAAS
Digital High Definition on-line
ULTIMATE
Additional Post-production
PHANTA VISION
Black Hawk Down sound FX courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment
Kabul student riots footage courtesy of Al Jazeerah News Network
News item courtesy of VRT Belgium
SMILE&WAVE was produced by BIG RIVER Pictures
In co-production with NCRV Television & RNTV Distribution
SMILE&WAVE was financed by DUTCH FILM FUND & CoBO FUND
©2003-2007 Big River Pictures / Vik Franke
