A Review of 'Interpreters Wanted': Vocal Afghan lives in exchange for the promise of freedom

Interpreters Wanted: Vocal Afghan lives in exchange for the promise of freedom

Cast: Saifullah Haqmal, Ismail Haqmal, Robert Ham, Matt Zeller, Janis Shinwari

Critic’s Rating: 4 Stars out of 5

Director: Robert Ham

Duration: 1 hour, 24 minutes

Genre: Documentary, War

Language: English

Release: 2023

What’s it about?

A compelling documentary that follows the lives of two Afghan interpreters for the U.S. military and their troubled quest for American citizenship.

Review:

Here is a relevant documentary that accords a face and voice to Afghan interpreters who aided U.S. soldiers during the latter’s long presence in the embattled Central Asian country. This film highlights the plight of these bilingual heroes who put their lives on the line in order to help the American military wage war against the merciless Taliban regime. By offering their invaluable services to the invading forces, these translators became targets of their Afghan rulers. Amid the threat of imminent death, such brave souls dreamed to escape their war-ravaged homeland for greener pastures only to run into several proverbial walls. 

This engaging and important celluloid project has been realised by Robert Ham - an American combat filmmaker who served in Afghanistan from 2007 to 2014. Stationed at the volatile U.S. Salerno army base at the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, Ham forges a close rapport with a recruited interpreter named Saifullah Haqmal. While translating army videos, leaflets and radio messages, Saifullah regularly finds himself in the line of fire. But he believes the perilous assignment is for a just cause, especially going by the much-needed infrastructural development and jobs that the Americans are providing in the forlorn nation. 

Ham also turns the camera onto Saifullah’s brother Ismail, who has signed up for similar work but who has confronted more danger and who has incurred physical injury. Then, Saifullah take us on a tour of his fear-consumed life, being born during the Mujahideen’s defence of the invading Soviets in the 1980s and living through the Taliban’s subsequent subjugation of the Afghan people. He impassively recalls how during his early years, the oppressive regime forbade media communication and social activities, while even running water and electricity was hard to come by. 

Saifullah goes on to remember the news of 9/11, America’s invasion of his country soon afterwards and Afghanistan’s failed attempts at establishing democracy in the years that followed. Then, after the pull-out of several American troops in 2014, Saifullah was sent on a wild goose chase to secure a U.S. visa that his foreign benefactors had promised him. With Uncle Sam constantly shifting the goal post, the desperate young man and his family keep holding out hope for asylum. Meanwhile, the proactive Ham harbours dreams of being reunited with his Afghan friends.

The filmmaker prudently juxtaposes old footage of his time with the interpreters with more recently captured interviews of them. He also effectively intersperses his base and combat visuals with archival recordings of various U.S. Presidential during different times of Afghanistan’s history. Furthermore, Ham deftly blends suspense and sentiment towards the film’s conclusion, evoking the viewer’s interest and sympathy. 

Interpreters Wanted however, lacks a personalisation of the enemy which could have been accomplished by showing the international media’s confrontations of Taliban members. Plus, American politicians responsible for issuing Special Immigrant Visas should have also figured in this film. Plus, Ham could have shed more light on the verbalised emotions of the persecuted Afghan people. Still, he and his stars have crafted a moving documentary, leaving the viewer rooting for Afghanistan’s tormented people and appreciating the intrepid bravery they show in the face of relentless adversity.