DEFUSING HUMAN BOMBS

Partners: First Take Films, distributed by Scorpion TV (London)

Length: 52 minutes

Wrapped: July 2011

Rights available: Worldwide

The Sabaoon School in Pakistan teaches its students much more than reading, writing and arithmetic. The school, run by the Pakistani Army, uses psychology, the teachings of religious scholars, and other techniques to effectively deprogram young boys who have been exposed to years of Taliban indoctrination, during which they’ve experienced myriad abuses ranging from abduction to brainwashing.

Filmed over a period of 18 months, this film showcases both the efforts to ‘defuse’ these young, ticking time bombs, as well as the hardships the school itself faces, with only a small number of the students having successfully re-integrated into society following their time with the Taliban.