THE CHALLENGE

The Afghan nationals who helped the U.S. military now live daily under the looming threat of violence toward their families and livelihoods. Many of these Afghan nationals try to immigrate to the U.S., but immigration is a difficult process that can take up to three years. Thousands of former and active U.S. military members who consider these individuals family are trying to help by pressuring lawmakers to hasten the immigration process for Afghan interpreters and their families because many of them have only a matter of days rather than months or even years. This series will document the personal stories of the Afghan servicemen and women seeking visas and the U.S. military members who served with them.

RESULTS

From the team that brought you Lionhearted comes Translating Chaos: the untold story of the interpreters left to die in Afghanistan. Translating Chaos is a five-episode docu-series for streaming that will give a voice to the Afghan nationals who served as translators, interpreters, and advisors during the 20-year-long war in Afghanistan. These Afghan nationals served and lived alongside U.S. military forces, putting themselves and their families in danger by helping and being associated with the American military. However, when the United States withdrew from Afghanistan in 2021, these Afghan nationals were left behind.

Spearheaded by Shane Ruiz and Owen Garitty, this docu-series is currently in pre-production and seeking additional funding. The team has faced many challenges in the creation of this series, including travel logistics and security concerns related to traveling to Afghanistan. They want to speak with Afghan nationals still in the country but getting to the country can be difficult and dangerous. Despite this, the team is dedicated to telling the stories of these servicemen and women no matter the cost.