Some men join the Marines searching for adventure. Fahim Fazli went searching for himself. An action-packed true story of an Afghan boy’s escape from Communist Afghanistan and stunning return as a man serving alongside American Marines as a combat interpreter.
Synopsis
As a child growing up in Communist Afghanistan of the 70s and 80s, Fahim dreamed of being an actor, a truly degrading job to have by Afghan standards - a dream that distances him from his father, who seeks status above all things. When it’s clear Russian forces will not be ousted anytime soon, Fahim and his father dare a harrowing escape from Afghanistan through the Hindu Kush. Ultimately arriving in southern California, Fahim begins a career as a Hollywood extra after many years of working construction.
Fahim pursues his dream in Hollywood amidst racism, typecasting as a terrorist, and continued family turmoil. A man of many cultures, Fahim searches for his identity in an increasingly polarizing world, marrying a white American girl to his parent’s chagrin. The increased financial pressure is exacerbated when he fathers a baby girl. After the events of 9/11, Fahim’s world is turned upside down. He is investigated by the FBI and isolated by everyone he encounters. In need of money and desperate to bridge his American and Afghan cultures he volunteers to be a combat interpreter for the Marine Corps in Helmand Province. With the aid of Fahim’s linguistic skills, the India Company Marines search for the region’s most dangerous Taliban leader, Kabir Khana.They are met with resistance from the local Afghan tribes. Fahim uses his knowledge of their tribal mentality to unite the local population and the Marines in the search for the enemy. Fahim is a crucial asset to the India Company Marines and a key element in finding the Taliban leader, earning him the respect of the Marines who ultimately call him brother and a member of their Marine tribe. Fahim returns home a patriot and finds success as an actor. The Tribe is the true story of an Afghan American whose past and present are told in parallel, ultimately colliding in a gripping, emotional climax.
“You are truly home only when you find your tribe”
― Srividya Strinivasan
“If you liked American Sniper, this is the Afghan version of the story. It needs to be a
feature film for the same reasons Chris Kyle's story needed to be told.”
― Dale Dye
