Benjamin Gilmour

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Benjamin Gilmour is a German Australian author and filmmaker, best known for writing and directing the film Jirga (2018).

Contents

Career

Paramedic

Gilmour became a paramedic around 1999. [1] [2] He has worked in public health development in low-middle income nations. [3]

Writing

Gilmour has written several non-fiction books. [1] [4]

Warrior Poets: Guns, Movie-making and the Wild West of Pakistan, first published in 2008, [5] is an account of the making of his feature film, Son of a Lion, but it also describes much about the Pashtun people of the North-West Frontier Province and in particular the town of Darra Adam Khel, where guns are made. [6] [7]

Paramedico - Around the World by Ambulance (2012), a "collection of adventures by Australian paramedic Benjamin Gilmour as he works and volunteers on ambulances around the world". [8] [9]

The Gap: A paramedic's summer on the edge (2019) is a memoir recounting incidents in a group of paramedics' work in the lead-up to Christmas one summer. [10] [11]

Cameras and Kalashnikovs: The Making of Jirga (2018) is about making the film Jirga in Afghanistan. [12]

He is also the author of an illustrated book for children The Travel Bug (2011), and two volumes of poetry, The Song of a Hundred Miles and Night Swim. [13]

Films

Son of a Lion (2007) was his first film, a documentary filmed in Pakistan as he lived among the Pashtun tribes of the Northwest Frontier Province. [14] [15] [16]

Paramedico (2011) is another documentary film, released at the same time as his book of the same name. It was nominated for the Foxtel Best Documentary Award at the Sydney Film Festival. [17] [18]

Gilmour wrote and directed the 2018 film Jirga , [19] [20] Son of a Lion (2007) [21] [22] [23] and Paramedico (2012). Jirga won the inaugural AACTA Award for Best Indie Film at the 8th AACTA Awards in 2018 [24] [25] and the CinefestOZ Film Prize. [26] [27] It was selected as Australia's entry to the 91st Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film section. [28] [29]

Publications

Filmography

YearTitleRef
2008 Son of a Lion Screenwriter & director
2012ParamedicoDirector [32]
2018 Jirga Screenwriter & director

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pashtuns</span> Ethnic group native to Pakistan and Afghanistan

Pashtuns, also known as Pakhtuns, or Pathans, are a nomadic, pastoral, Eastern Iranic ethnic group primarily residing in northwestern Pakistan and southern and eastern Afghanistan. They historically were also referred to as Afghans until the ratification of the 1964 Constitution of Afghanistan, which stated anyone with citizenship is Afghan, and the 1970s after the term's meaning had become a demonym for members of all ethnic groups in Afghanistan.

A jirga is an assembly of leaders that makes decisions by consensus according to Pashtunwali, the Pashtun social code. It is conducted in order to settle disputes among the Pashtuns, but also by members of other ethnic groups who are influenced by them in present-day Afghanistan and Pakistan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bannu</span> City in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Bannu also called Bana and Bani is a city located on the Kurram River in southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. It is the capital of Bannu Division. Bannu's residents are primarily members of the Banuchi tribe and speak Banuchi (Baniswola), a dialect of Pashto which is similar to the distinct Waziristani dialect. The residents regardless of their tribes are commonly called Banusi, Banuchi or Banisi.

Pashtun diaspora comprises all ethnic Pashtuns. There are millions of Pashtuns who are living outside of their traditional homeland of Pashtunistan, a historic region that is today situated over parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan. While the (erstwhile) Pashtunistan is home to the majority of Pashtun people, there are significant local Pashtun diaspora communities scattered across the neighbouring Pakistani provinces of Sindh and Punjab, particularly in their respective provincial capital cities of Karachi and Lahore. Additionally, people with Pashtun ancestry are also found across India; particularly in Rohilkhand, a region in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh; and in the Indian states of Gujarat and Rajasthan. Outside of South Asia, significant Pashtun diaspora communities are found in the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Iran, Australia, Canada, and Russia.

Osamah Sami is an Australian stage and screen actor, writer, and stand-up comedian, born in Iran of Iraqi origin. He is known for his book Good Muslim Boy, and the film Ali's Wedding.

Son of a Lion is a 2007 Australian-Pakistani drama film set in Darra Adam Khel, in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The film tells the story of Niaz Afridi, a Pashtun boy who wants to go to school instead of carrying on the family business of manufacturing firearms. The director, Benjamin Gilmour, is an Australian former paramedic; Son of a Lion is his first film. It was filmed in the area around Darra with the cooperation of local residents. The actors are local non-professionals and much of the dialogue is improvised. It has received generally positive reviews. The film is in Pashto with English subtitles.

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A paramedic is a healthcare professional who works predominantly in the pre-hospital and out-of-hospital environment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pashtun Tahafuz Movement</span> Social movement for Pashtun human rights

The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement is a social movement for Pashtun human rights based in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces of Pakistan. It was founded in May 2014 by eight students in Dera Ismail Khan. On 1 February 2018, the name of the movement was changed from "Mahsud Tahafuz Movement" to "Pashtun Tahafuz Movement."

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<i>Jirga</i> (film) 2018 film

Jirga is a 2018 Australian drama film written and directed by Benjamin Gilmour and produced by John Maynard. It stars Sam Smith as a former Australian soldier returning to Afghanistan to seek forgiveness from the family of a man he killed while serving in the war. The film was shot under extreme circumstances, in dangerous locations and with assistance from the local people of Afghanistan. Deemed too politically divisive to be produced in Pakistan the film moved production at the last minute to Afghanistan and shot in one of the most dangerous regions in the world, Kandahar Province.

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The inaugural meeting of the Pashtun National Jirga, also known as the Bannu Jirga, was held at Mirakhel Cricket Ground in Bannu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from 11 to 14 March 2022 to discuss the critical issues faced by the Pashtuns in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It was attended by about 5,000 delegates, including politicians, tribal chiefs, researchers, clerics, religious minorities, women and human rights activists.

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References

  1. 1 2 "Books That Changed Me: Benjamin Gilmour" . The Sydney Morning Herald. 7 September 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  2. "We're treated like lepers, and called coronavirus 'spreaders' — just for doing our jobs". ABC News. 29 April 2020. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  3. "Paramedic reveals the highs and lows of working in emergency services". 7NEWS. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  4. "The Gap – a paramedic's summer on the edge". South Sydney Herald. 7 April 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  5. "Benjamin Gilmour: Moviemaking in Pakistan". ABC Radio National. 15 September 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  6. Gilmour, B. (2013). Warrior Poets: Guns, Movie-making and the Wild West of Pakistan. Murdoch Books Pty Limited. ISBN   978-1-74196-651-0 . Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  7. "Benjamin Gilmour: Moviemaking in Pakistan". ABC Radio National. 15 September 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  8. Gilmour, B. (2013). Paramédico: Around the World by Ambulance. HarperCollins Publishers Limited. ISBN   978-0-00-749251-0 . Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  9. "Book Review—Paramédico: Around the World by Ambulance". Archived from the original on 10 October 2021.
  10. Gilmour, B. (2019). The Gap: A paramedic's summer on the edge. Penguin Random House Australia. ISBN   978-1-76089-021-6 . Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  11. Cerabona, Ron (14 September 2019). "The Gap is a poignant glimpse into the trials of an ambo's life". The Canberra Times. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  12. Gilmour, B. (2018). Cameras and Kalashnikovs: The Making of Jirga. Benjamin Gilmour. ISBN   978-0-646-98771-2 . Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  13. "inauthor:"Benjamin Gilmour"". Google Search. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  14. New Zealand International Film Festival: Son of a Lion , retrieved 10 October 2021
  15. Kerr, Elizabeth (9 October 2007). "Son of a Lion". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  16. "Movie: "Son of a Lion" by Benjamin Gilmour". All Things Pakistan. 13 July 2008. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  17. Paramedico (2012) - IMDb , retrieved 10 October 2021
  18. "Paramedico (2011) - The Screen Guide - Screen Australia". www.screenaustralia.gov.au. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  19. "Jirga review – contemplative war film with a powerful sense of purpose". The Guardian. 11 June 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  20. "Review: 'Jirga' asks if atonement for war sins is possible". Los Angeles Times. 1 August 2019. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  21. Gilmour, Benjamin (6 November 2009), Son of a Lion (Drama, War), Australian Film Commission, Carolyn Johnson Films, Leapfrog Productions, retrieved 10 October 2021
  22. "Interview: Benjamin Gilmour". Newsline. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  23. "Interview with 'Son of a Lion' Director Benjamin Gilmour: 'Pakistan's Pashtuns Just Want to Protect Their Way of Life'". Der Spiegel. 15 February 2008. ISSN   2195-1349 . Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  24. Maddox, Garry (3 December 2018). "Risky film shot in secret in Afghanistan steals show at AACTA Awards". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  25. "Nominees Announced for the 2018 AACTA Awards presented by Foxtel". www.aacta.org. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  26. "Surprise result: Benjamin Gilmour's 'Jirga' wins $100,000 CinefestOZ prize". IF Magazine. 26 August 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  27. "CinefestOZ 2018 Film Prize Winner Announced • CinefestOZ Film Festival". cinefestoz.com. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  28. "'Jirga' is Australia's submission for Best Foreign Language Film Oscar". IF Magazine. 8 October 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  29. "Oscar buzz for an Aussie film shot in secret in Afghanistan". ABC Radio. 5 December 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  30. Gilmour, B.; Gilmore, I.; Moujafis, Y. (1998). The Song of a Hundred Miles: A Collection of Poetry. Peculiar Press. ISBN   978-0-646-35696-9 . Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  31. Gilmour, B. (2020). Night Swim: New Poetry by Benjamin Gilmour. Independently Published. ISBN   979-8-5827-6015-3 . Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  32. Benjamin Gilmour at IMDb OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg