Sometimes the making of a film is as remarkable as the film itself and Australian director Benjamin Gilmour certainly raises this prospect with his debut feature Son Of A Lion.

Gilmour is a 32-year-old ambulance officer from Sydney with a passion for writing, and travelling through some of the most remote and dangerous parts of the world.

Following another one of his risky conquests, this time to an isolated village in Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier back in August 2001, Gilmour was inspired to make his first movie.

Gilmour stumbled across an intriguing story of a young boy living in the dusty gun-manufacturing town of Darra Adam Khel near the Afghanistan border and felt his tale needed to be told.

The story surrounds sensitive 11-year-old boy Niaz who would rather be attending school than work at his fundamentalist father’s gun shop.

But the stubborn, widowed former Mujahideen fighter wants his son to toughen up (become the son of a lion) and live a strict Islamic life while following in his footsteps as a weapon maker.

The family debate spills into the wider community as Niaz desperately tries to convince his father he would be better off at school learning to read and write rather than carrying on the dangerous family business.

There are so many elements to love about this film starting with the simplicity of the story and how it is skilfully adapted to the screen.

Gilmour’s original screenplay was scrapped after his contacts in Pakistan "read it and laughed". They basically helped him re-write it and cast some locals in the main roles.

This non-professional cast gave the film some authenticity and the dialogue appeared to be more realistic.

Gilmour’s attention to detail is also quite exceptional and helps the viewer understand how post-9/11 Muslims live in this desolate locale and the cultural factors surrounding Niaz and his father’s opinions and decision-making.

To do this he includes scenes in tea houses, barbershops and ordinary households where members of the community express a wide variety of opinions on everything from Osama bin Laden to the regional role of the US.

He even delves into the sad problem of stray bullets (shot into the sky by irreverent local gun-makers) hitting unsuspecting residents.

But the most fascinating aspect of the film’s production is the cultural barriers and the difficulties Gilmour faced shooting the film.

Gilmour based himself in Pakistan for eight months of pre-production 2004 where he learnt more about the local ethnic Pashtuns and their Pashto language while developing the film with executive producer Hayat Khan Shinwari.

He then returned to the region in 2006 where he completed the filming pretty much undercover because of the risk of being caught by the Pakistan Army, local tribal police known as khasadars and a multitude of other intelligence agents.

Despite these major hurdles Gilmour still captured the amazing barren landscapes and the true everyday lifestyle of the region.

Overall, Gilmour strikes the right balance in this very impressive debut by sticking to a basic story about a young boy yearning for somewhat of a normal life while not straying too deep into the political upheaval of the war-torn province.

It might be time for Gilmour to shelve his plans in the ambo world judging by his ability as a film maker in this touching story.

rating: * * * *

— Vaughan Mayberry

Son Of A Lion is rated PG and will screen at Flecker Botanical Gardens on Friday, June 20 from 6pm. Tickets at the gate. 

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