What is the Price of Peace? Polish Troops in Afghanistan


The debate will be held in Polish and English.

Thursday, May 12, 2011, Kinoteka, following the screening of Armadillo. The film will begin at 6 PM.

Film:
Armadillo
Directed by: Janus Metz
Denmark, 2010,
90 min.

After the screening, together with the Heinrich Böll Foundation we invite viewers to a debate with the film's director and other invited guests.

Participants in the discussion include:

Janus Metz – director of Armadillo,
Col. Piotr Łukasiewicz – Ministry of National Defence Representative on Polish Military Contingent in Afghanistan,
Anna Tomaszewska – Foundation for European Studies, Wrocław,
Maksymilian Rigamonti – war photojournalist, author of the exhibition Afghanistan Now!
Host: Marek Kęskrawiec – journalist, five times nominee and twice the winner of „Grand Press” Award.

It has been a decade since the peace mission in Afghanistan commenced, with the first Polish soldiers joining the International Security Assistance Force in March of 2002. The peace mission, its aim and efficiency are widely discussed, often appearing in newspaper headlines and being subject of political disputes, especially before elections and following subsequent tragic news of soldiers being killed. The increasing number of casualties is shocking. According to www.icasualties.org, in 2010, 711 soldiers died in Afghanistan. To this date 24 Polish soldiers have been killed since the mission began.

Does the heated political debate help make the public's aware that Poland is participating in a war against the Taliban? Do foreign armies bring peace? Does our “viewer’s perspective”, seated in front of a television set, allow us to understand the consequences of engaging in this kind of missions? Could such a film be shot in Poland?