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. “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. „In the early research for the project, when I first met the young soldiers, I was surprised that the majority of those who had already been to war, had a desire to return. Their experiences were violent and bloody, but they all talked with great excitement about battle and about the strong bonds and feelings of unity with their fellow soldiers. Everyday life at home seemed to have become boring in comparison with the intensity of war. It seemed like an addiction. This puzzled me to the extent that I wanted to try and put myself in the soldiers’ shoes“, – said Janus Metz.
