Commissions

Greenlit: Fighting ISIS, Channel 4

Fighting Isis (1 x 60′) –  A documentary shot entirely by three former military officers which follows British men who have volunteered to fight Islamic State militants in Syria – providing unprecedented insight into the dangerous and brutal reality of ‘amateur’ fighting on the IS frontline. The British volunteers: Jac – a 22 year-old former IT worker from Bournemouth, Harry – a 28 year-old former currency trader from Battersea and Jim – a 40 year-old former soldier and peace activist from Stoke on Trent are members of a band of volunteers known as the ‘Lions of Rojava’ who are supporting Kurdish forces in Syria. They spent several months in early 2015 fighting in the north eastern part of Syria – building up to a major operation, captured in this film, to clear IS out as far the Abdul ‘Aziz mountain range.

Fighting Isis documents their training as they work towards regaining control of IS’s headquarters in the north east. From close quarters, the filmmakers capture the four-day-long operation which includes a bloody two-day battle to take back a village, the discovery of a major IS bomb factory and abandoned IS barracks before culminating in their victorious arrival at the bombed-out IS HQ.

Filmed entirely by ex-soldiers Mauricio Gris, George Tyldesley and Michael McEvoy, ex-officers, the film follows the volunteers from their training for this operation in sight of a village flying an Islamic State flag and under constant threat of sniper fire through to their arrival at the IS HQ.

An epic war documentary for an age in which ISIS will dominate our headlines for years to come, Fighting Isis, reveals the untold story of the growing number of ordinary Brits who have chosen to risk their lives in combat against the Islamic State as unpaid volunteers. Using extraordinary footage and interviews shot this documentary reveals how young Englishmen – drawn to Syria by their hatred of ISIS and the thrill of combat – experience a greater sense of purpose and belonging when they’re fighting shoulder to shoulder with the men and women of the YPG Kurdish militia than they do at home in England.

Since filmmakers Mauricio, George and Mike returned from Syria, two of the three volunteers they filmed have already gone back to rejoin the fight after a short stint back home. And seven of the Kurds in their unit have been killed in battle.

Channel: Channel 4

Producer: Amos Pictures

TX: TBC

Source: Channel 4 press release