Director: Janus Metz

Region: Denmark

Year of Production: 2010

Running Time: 100min

ARMADILLO is an upfront account of growing cynicism and adrenaline addiction for young soldiers at war.

Mads and Daniel are on their first mission in Helmand, Afghanistan. Their platoon is stationed in Camp Armadillo, right on the Helmand frontline, fighting tough battles against the Taliban. The soldiers are there to help the Afghan people, but as fighting gets tougher and operations increasingly hairy, Mads, Daniel and their friends become cynical, widening the gap between themselves and the Afghan civilisation. Mistrust and paranoia set in causing alienation and disillusion.

Armadillo is a journey into the soldier’s mind and a unique film on the mythological story of man and war, staged in its contemporary version in Afghanistan.

Grand Prize of International Critics Week, Cannes Film Festival 2010

Golden Eye Best International Documentary Film, Zurich Film Festival 2010

Born in Denmark in 1974, Janus Metz would eventually receive a master's degree in communication and international development studies from Roskilde University. After working as a documentary researcher, Metz would then move to South Africa. It was here that he would work on the television drama Soul City before making his debut documentary short Township Boys in 2006. His feature documentaries include Love on Delivery (2008), Ticket to Paradise (2008) and Armadillo (2010).