Director Mike Vernon is scheduled to attend

Filmed in the heart of Taliban country by army reservist and former CBC reporter Mike Vernon, Desert Lions is an on-the-ground look at Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. Stationed in Nakhonay, one of the deadliest regions in Kandahar Province, Vernon documents the daily lives of the Operational Mentor and liaison team (OMLT), which provides training and support to the afghan national army (ANA).

OMLT is more than just a team of mentors. Living in a converted school in the centre of the city, the team shares jobs, meals and even living quarters with it’s ANA counterparts. That camaraderie isn't always easy, and Vernon captures the tension that comes from culture clashes, 40-degree heat and the constant threat of attack.

An honest, unvarnished view of military life, Desert Lions is as close as most of us will come to understanding the efforts of our dedicated soldiers abroad.

Preceded by:

SYRIA'S YOUTH REVOLUTIONARIES
Director SkyeBoat Films, Lebanon, 2011, 12 minutes

Social media and cell phones played a major role in the Arab Spring, but it couldn't have happened without the activists on the ground, as this short documentary shows.