Benjamin Gilmour
Benjamin Gilmour is an ambulance paramedic who thought he'd have a crack at making a film.
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- Margaret Pomeranz, At the Movies
- David Stratton, At the Movies
- Richard Kuipers, Variety
- John Pilger - journalist and film-maker
Son of a Lion
In a town built on weapons a boy dreams of a different life
Sher Alam Afridi and his son Niaz live in the wild passes of the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan on the border with Afghanistan. Niaz never knew his mother as she died when he was an infant, leaving Sher Alam his sole parent. Like most men in the village of Darra, Sher Alam has a workshop making weapons, ranging from small arms to the ubiquitous AK47. He expects that one day Niaz will take over the family business, just as he did from his own father.
Niaz is 11 years old and works each day with Sher Alam in the workshop, learning his trade and running errands. But Niaz is bored with the daily routine and doesn’t have an affinity with his father’s craft. His uncle Baktiyar who lives in the capital Peshawar has been talking about Niaz enrolling in school for years and that is what Niaz also wants, but Sher Alam is vehemently opposed to the idea. What was good enough for Sher Alam and his father before him is surely good enough for Niaz.
Bullied by an older boy Pite and unable to confront his father about going to school, Niaz becomes frustrated and despondent. He receives a letter from his cousin but, unable to read it himself, he goes to his friend Agha Jaan the poet who lives in an Afghan refugee camp. Agha Jaan tells Niaz that his cousin from Peshawar is coming to visit. Surprised that Niaz cannot read, Agha Jaan gently chides Niaz about his lack of schooling.
Meanwhile, the men of the village gather to discuss the wider world over tea. Word of the conflict between Niaz and Sher Alam has spread and the conversation turns to education much to the shame of Sher Alam who believes the entire village is casting judgement on him. Niaz is sent to Peshawar for a dental appointment. Surviving the dentist Niaz enjoys the big city including his first ever visit to the cinema and a meeting with the boys at a local school, organised by his uncle. Back in Darra tension builds between father and son, and when Pite is badly injured by a falling bullet the situation reaches crisis point. In the aftermath both father and son are able to see each other more clearly and Sher Alam finally asks Niaz how long it will take to learn to read and write.
DVD, 92 mins plus extras, rated PG
Catalogue number (Cat#): MMA2729
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