
Trailer: Interpreters Wanted
Preview: 10/29/2024 | 2m 44sVideo has Closed Captions
Interpreters who served alongside U.S. Forces in Afghanistan become desperate to escape the Taliban.
Interpreters Wanted is about Afghan brothers who work with U.S. forces as interpreters, and one of the Soldiers they befriended in their years of service to the United States. After his unit leaves Afghanistan the brothers become desperate to escape and they turn to their American friends to petition Congress and help them escape the Taliban's rise to power.

Trailer: Interpreters Wanted
Preview: 10/29/2024 | 2m 44sVideo has Closed Captions
Interpreters Wanted is about Afghan brothers who work with U.S. forces as interpreters, and one of the Soldiers they befriended in their years of service to the United States. After his unit leaves Afghanistan the brothers become desperate to escape and they turn to their American friends to petition Congress and help them escape the Taliban's rise to power.
How to Watch GI Film Festival San Diego
GI Film Festival San Diego is available to stream on pbs.org and the free PBS App, available on iPhone, Apple TV, Android TV, Android smartphones, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Fire Tablet, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, and Vizio.
Providing Support for PBS.org
Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship- [Newsreader] The US has begun a major attack against the Taliban, the Al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan.
- [Newsreader] Searing images of Afghans desperate to escape- - [Newsreader] The Taliban is now effectively in control, including in the capital, Kabul.
- [Newsreader] Thousands of Afghans eligible for visas because they had worked for the US were left behind.
- [Newsreader] Getting out of the country to safety here in the States has been a long and difficult process.
(dramatic music) - I never thought when I went to Afghanistan that I would be telling the story of an Afghan, but war gives you a perspective about people.
- My name is Saifal Ahakma.
I worked for the US Army in Afghanistan.
- This is the first chance I have to speak out, to tell all the untold stories.
- [Interviewee] There's a bond with interpreters and soldiers.
- The interpreters were like the eyes for the US military in Afghanistan.
- [Interviewee] It's a death sentence to work with the US as an interpreter.
- The insurgents would all the time say, "Kill those ears and eyes.
Cut that, and then they will be nothing."
- I never assumed that when I would go out on a mission, I would come back alive.
We knew several interpreters were shot and killed.
Innocent people.
They were killing them like chickens.
(rifles firing) - My life was in a great danger and I wanted to come to the United States to live a free life.
- It took years for interpreters to finally get their visas because there are a thousand stories of these guys.
(dramatic music continues) - I'm now the fourth United States President to preside over American troop presence in Afghanistan.
- [Interviewee] This is the end.
We're gonna get out by September 11th.
- [Interviewee] This is our village and we left everything behind.
We are heading down to Kabul.
- [Interviewee] My whole family were there.
So exhausted.
No water, no food.
And so many people.
It was really dangerous.
- [Interviewee] I was leaving somebody behind, and we were leaving a lot of people behind.
(crowd clamoring) - [Interviewee] Three hours later, there was an explosion.
- [Newsreader] Coming on the air at this hour with breaking news.
- [Newsreader] US withdrawal of forces after nearly 20 years.
- In Afghanistan.
- In Afghanistan.
- In Afghanistan.
- In Afghanistan.
- In Afghanistan.
- In Afghanistan.
- The war in Afghanistan.
- It's time for American troops to come home.
(dramatic music continues) - I want to take my kids to the United States.
The future of these kids is very uncertain and unknown.