Chechnya's struggle for independence from Russia is one of history's longest on-going conflicts. In the last decade alone, nearly 150,000 Chechen civilians have been killed in two wars with Russia; a catastrophe that is one of the most underreported humanitarian crises of our time. Mountain Men & Holy Wars examines the roots of this bloody and protracted war. Filmmaker Taran Davies sets out to trace the life and legacy of Imam Shamil, the legendary warrior who led Chechnya's first rebellion against Russia and who is today the muse of Chechnya's struggle for independence. Davies and his colleagues travel to the site of Shamil's defeat, meet a man who claims to have had a life transforming vision of the Imam, uncover signs of the deadly Chechen tradition of vendetta & drink tea with Shamil's great great granddaughter. But Davies' journey takes an extraordinary turn when he encounters Imam Shamil's most violent legacy; the contemporary Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev. Basayev is Russia's most wanted terrorist & the man some believe is the reincarnation of Imam Shamil. Mountain Men and Holy Wars is the first film to explore the roots of Islamic radicalism and terror in Chechnya. We learn from the story of Imam Shamil that history is repeating itself in a conflict that neither the Russians, nor the West can ever win by force. We learn that Holy War in the Chechnya is far from over.

Mountain Men and Holy Wars

Horrified by the 9/11 attacks on America, filmmaker Taran Davies and Afghan American, Walied Osman, set out for Afghanistan to observe how the Afghan people have survived 24 years of war. They meet a member of the Afghan royal family once tortured by the Taliban, a refugee family stuck in a one-room apartment, a revered Muslim elder, an aid worker and a warlord. A unique and intimate film, Afghan Stories documents the torment, resolve and dreams of a people whose lives have been torn apart by war.