An Australian, independent drama shot - in remarkably trying conditions - in the North West Frontier, Pakistan. "Novice filmmaker Benjamin...
An Australian, independent drama shot - in remarkably trying conditions - in the North West Frontier, Pakistan. "Novice filmmaker Benjamin Gilmour made the film without a permit in a Pashtun tribal area, where film is seen by many as a suspect medium. He filmed with a small digital camera and disguised himself as a Pashtun. His lead actors were chosen for him by his executive producer, the local man who showed him around and eased him into the community" - The Age.
Set in Pakistan's tribal weapon-making village of Darra Adam Khel, a young Pashtun boy, Niaz Afridi, spends his days patiently mastering the intricacies of AK-47s. But Niaz defies his father's expectation, to carry on the family's gun business, and demands an education instead.
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89 %9 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® rating
72 %142 reviewsAudience score rating
"A commendable addition to the growing number of films centered on children in post-9/11 Islamic societies, "Son of a Lion" packs emotional punch and engaging political discussion into the tale of a sensitive boy who wants to go to school rather than follow his fundamentalist father into the gun-making business."
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Variety
Variety"A remarkable yet unassuming film, made by Gilmour, an Australian filmmaking novice, under the most trying conditions. Working without a permit in a Pashtun tribal area where film is seen by many as a suspect medium, he filmed with a small digital camera and disguised himself as a Pashtun..."
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The Age
The Age"Small and almost perfectly formed."
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New Zealand Herald
New Zealand Herald"I must admit that a fair way into the film I thought I was watching a documentary, so natural are the performances."
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ABC
ABCSon of a Lion | Details
- Runtime
- 92
- Genre
- Drama
- Country of origin
- Australia
