Forgotten War Heroes: The Interpreters with Sofian Khan

We chat with Sofian Khan, a documentary filmmaker, and learn about the unsung heroes of war they don't usually make films about, but who are often in the most life-threatening danger. We start off by talking about his most recent documentary, “The Interpreters,” and how it follows their journey through risk, danger, lies, and promise. What is most special about this conversation is that not only do we get the perspective of a filmmaker who got up close and personal with these real-life heroes, but our very own host of Stories of Transformation, Baktash Ahadi, gives his personal account of his service as a combat interpreter for the US Marine Corps in Afghanistan in 2010-2013 at the height of the conflict. We then get into Sofian’s passions in film-making and how he got started, and we also discuss the impact of his film and the importance of telling these stories and for people to hear them. Through that lens, we also discuss the implications for US foreign relations, what it means to be an American abroad these days and the general sentiment about American policies on immigration among people inside and out. Most importantly, we consider the greater lessons that can be learned from all of this.

Memorable Quote

The impact of war on society

• "I feel it's valuable to tell stories and remind people about the epic scale upon which these wars have affected people's lives. The film helps people be pulled into the story on a human level first. Then the film slowly zooms out and says..look at this, this is a huge weight that needs to be taken seriously."

Resources & Links

You can see more of Baktash Ahadi's work here.

Follow Baktash Ahadi on Instagram here.

Keep updated on the latest episodes of "Stories of Transformation” here.

Want to connect with Sofian? Find him below:

The Interpreters Film for the general public: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/interpreters

The Interpreters Film for educators: https://www.newday.com/film/interpreters

• The Interpreters Film Website
• Film Production Website
• Instagram

Podcast Produced by Dana Drahos: http://danadrahos.com/