INFIL_EXFIL: Once War and Back

It's going in. INFIL. - "Infiltration" is the entry into the film. The helicopter flies low over the Afghan landscape. Mostly dry and arid, with green stripes in between, very nice gentle khaki hills. Landing at the base. Everything that happens in INFIL_EXFIL in Afghanistan was documented with a helmet camera in HD. Michael Golembesky is not only the director of this film, which is his life, he is also the main actor.

INFIL_EXFIL (Watch it HERE online), Golembesky says, is "an artistic look at the war in Afghanistan and shows a silent withdrawal that many veterans bring back from the war." The main material documents a day of combat by Marine and Army Special Operations in the village of Daneh Pasab, Afghanistan, in April of 2010. There are also images from Colorado in the USA, where Michael Golembesky now lives. All accompanied by independent music that accompanies the film. The magic of this documentary lies in that mix of images: here the civilian life - sometimes in shaky shots from the protagonist's childhood, sometimes in the colorful splendor of urban everyday life and the beauty of nature in the USA (by the way, in some parts not unlike Afghanistan).

The break in it is the war. It starts in the middle of the night. Shots, moving forward, searching for the Taliban. But they are rarely seen. It feels like a surreal intrusion when suddenly two fallen Afghans are shown. Taliban? The images that are juxtaposed show a city in the USA lit up at night or for Christmas.

The helmet camera follows the protagonist's point of view. We see what he sees. He is with the group of comrades, observing what they do; documenting the view through the terrain, searching for danger; we ride on a quad to bring a wounded person to the medic; often we are in the line of fire over the weapon to fire at the enemy with an M4A1 SOPMOD Block 2 or an AT-4. We don't see him. But we know he is there. (Mostly marked at the end by a gigantic explosion, the supposed position of the enemy, when air support is there. The cannons shoot at the Sparrows, one is tempted to interpret.)

The viewer sees with Michael Golembesky the impacts on the mud wall near him, which were intended for a comrade who was changing position. Danger. The quick head movements when something is happening. The helmet camera gives us the chance to be very close. Or at least it conveys the illusion.

EXFIL means "Exfiltration." Out again. The one who comes out at the end of the film doesn't make it, he's dead. The camera shows a procession at the base. A fallen soldier is wrapped in the US flag and brought to the Blackhawk helicopter, which flies out the body. The film is dedicated to the fallen of the MARSOC unit in which Golembesky served.

The peaceful images contrast with the intensity and chaos of the battle, the peace of home contrasts with the dangers of war. When it tears the soul apart because a person cannot let go of what they have experienced, that's called "Post-traumatic stress disorder" (PTSD). The emotional wounds that a man carries from the war. Michael Golembesky also suffers from PTSD, but he probably doesn't like to talk about it... The film is his explanation.

Also unusual about this project is that the poster for INFIL_EXFIL was designed by a young Austrian graphic artist. Andre Frühwirth lives and works in Wels in Upper Austria. The first contact with Michael Golembesky came about through Facebook. "It was probably more of a random choice, as I had contacted him as a graphic artist with some tips regarding his book cover (Note: "Level Zero Heros" is an upcoming book about MARSOC in Afghanistan)," says Andre. The idea of focusing on the helmet camera for the poster was quickly clear, it is intended to show the film's perspective. The initially planned reference to the American flag was replaced by the names of the team in the background to establish a personal connection.

After a first shoot with a lighter and a darker design, the shoot with two MSA MICH 2000 helmets followed because initially a project with two posters - Norotos and Wilcox NVG-Mount (see image at the end of the article) - was planned. The final version then featured the Norotos Mount, as used by MARSOC.
"One last important point for Michael was to have a reference to the film's goal, which is to raise awareness about PTSD," Andre explains. Since the poster was already reduced to the most expressive elements at that point, he and Andre Frühwirth agreed to mention it all in a single sentence and to repeat the red from the helmet camera in this sentence, creating two eye-catching elements.

"For me personally, it was a great honor to work on this project and certainly one of the most exciting topics," says Andre Frühwirth. "Being able to contribute something as an Austrian to such a project was certainly something unique. Especially the friendship with Michael and the contacts with MSOT8222 members that came about through the work are things I am very proud of."

The film is available HERE for free.

"I want to raise awareness for PTSD."
Michael Golembesky in an interview