My Daughter the Terrorist

Min Datter Terroristen / Norway 2007 / 60min. Tamil with English subtitles.
Director Beate Arnestad / Producer Morten Daae

What makes anyone want to blow themselves up for a cause? In this intimate and personal portrait, we join two teenage girls, Dharsika and Pahalchudar, whose families have been torn apart through war. They join a militant faction of Tamil Separatists, "The Black Tigers," and for seven years the young women train and fight side-by-side, firm in the belief of the righteousness of their cause and the ultimate mission. We share their childhood experiences, their dreams and their families’ loss.

For some of us it is hard to imagine growing up amidst constant civil conflict but this is the situation permeating much of our world today. The film begins when peace talks are in progress and the faction has been decommissioned. The film ends poignantly as Dharsika hopes to see the two girls on Hero’s Day, the yearly pompous and grand celebration of every single Tiger martyr but is unsuccessful as the peace talks falter and the guerrillas decide to reactivate the faction once again.

Beate Arnestad is one of the first foreign filmmakers to be allowed to document in-depth the group of Tamil Separatists fighting for independence. Arnestad’s provocative and insightful look at this elite all female regiment “The Black Tigers”, delves into the daily lives and preparations of the women and gives us an insight into the driving power of fundamentalism.

My Daughter the Terrorist is a timely look at life inside a guerrilla organization, and the way the world appears to a terrorist. It’s a film about unthinkable terrorist acts – and about getting to know and to some extent understand those who are firmly committed to doing the unthinkable.

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