Dugma – The Button and images of the enemy
March 14 2016
Dugma – The Button and images of the enemy
The Fritt Ord Foundation and Medieoperatørene invite the public to a screening of the new documentary film Dugma – The Button by Director Pål Salahdin Refsdal, on Monday, 14 March 2016, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Uranienborgveien 2 in Oslo. The screening will be followed by a conversation about images of the enemy between Pål Salahdin Refsdal and Thomas Hegghammer, a researcher at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment. Lene Bomann-Larsen, a philosopher who is research manager at the Norwegian Military Academy, will moderate the session.
Registration: registering@frittord.no
In Dugma – The Button, we get a different, more detailed depiction of the Islamic rebels in al-Qaida in Syria. Through the eyes of the director, they are portrayed as people rather than as religious fanatics. The film follows two characters from al-Qaida’s so-called martyr list, portraying their personal joys and sorrows, hopes and doubts. All of them are prepared to sacrifice their lives in the war against the Assad regime. They plan to drive a truck filled with tonnes of explosives behind enemy lines and then press the button, known in Arabic as Dugma. The film is an attempt to break down western prejudices. At the same time, the film projects an image that is diametrically opposed to the impression al-Qaida itself would like to project. The protagonists bear little resemblance to the heroes of al-Qaida’s propaganda films.
Trailer