Massoud, The Afgan

This documentary begins with the narration: "Afghanistan. A distant country, far away, at war. No one could care, or hardly anyone." Which means it was finished in 1998, before Afghanistan’s war became a little better known. It tells the story of Massoud, one of the leaders of the Northern Alliance, and an anti-Taliban fighter. Massoud’s story covers the entire period of Afghani violence, starting with the Soviet invasion over 20 years ago. All Americans should see this movie, and not just because it’s a quick education in the lives of the people we now shoot at on a regular basis. It’s also excellent documentary filmmaking, where the documentarian’s personality is not ignored, but never overwhelms the subject.