02/06/2005

L’Etoile du Soldat, the first feature-length fiction by documentary maker Christophe de Ponfilly goes into pre-production in preparation for a shoot in August and September in Afghanistan, then during October in Russia, a hundred kilometres north of Moscow. The French-German co-production looks behind-the-scenes in Afghanistan leading up to the events of September the 11th 2001, tracing the misadventures of a Russian guitarist who took part in the chaotic Afghanistan war. Played by the French actor of Russian origin Sacha Bourdo (Western), the soldier is taken prisoner by the Mujahidin led by Commander Massoud and, during his time in captivity, meets an Afghan musician and a French journalist (the photographer and famous war reporter Patrick Chauvel, who has already been seen in the films of Pierre Schoendoerffer and Xavier Beauvois). The latter has been investigating the massive aid provided by the USA to hard-line radical Islamics and returns 21 years later to look into the assassination of Commander Massoud, a few days before 09/11/2001.

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An expert on Afghanistan, Christophe de Ponfilly has dedicated himself to making numerous documentaries in the country since 1985, winning notably the prestigious Albert Prize in London in 1995 for Les Combattants de l’insolence and reaching a wider audience with Massoud, l’Afghan (1998), broadcast many times on television and shown in cinemas in France and the USA.

With a budget of 3,4 million euros, L’Etoile du Soldat obtained support of 360 000 euros from Eurimages and an aid of 300 000 euros from a mini-treaty available to co-productions between France and Germany. Produced by the director’s company Albert Films (75 %), by the German company NEF Filmproduktion (25 %), the film also has a pre-sale and co-production deal with France 2 Cinéma. With a delivery date of March 2006, it will be distributed in France by Les Films du Losange.

(Translated from French)