TIMECODES

SCENE DESCRIPTION

SCREEN TEXT

DIALOGUE + VO

00:00 – 00:50

Pre-title

Moody and empty shots of Bagram prison.

Moazzam VO:

Moazzam Begg: In 1993, I saw this dream.

I saw myself walking with a group of prisoners inside a prison. And we're walking around and there are soldiers above us pointing guns towards us. The soldiers start to shoot and everybody starts to get killed. And I start to cry in the dream. And I woke up next to my wife actually in tears,

And then eight years later, when I'm in Bagram, with soldiers above us pointing guns, I wrote back to my wife and said, “The only dream I've ever relayed to this came true. This is Bagram.”

00:51 - 00:58

Title & intro

Continued over shots of Bagram.

Fade to white.

ECHOES OF BAGRAM

A FILM BY MICHAEL MCEVOY & HORIA EL HADAD

00:59 – 01:36

Archive sequence

Missiles are fired in the sky.

Bombs lands on mountains in Afghanistan.

Shots of barbed wire at Bagram prison.

Shots of prisoners being walked by U.S. guards at Guantanamo Bay prison.

Archive footage of Moazzam Begg walking out of a mosque in Birmingham and greeting a friend in a car.

During the U.S. led so-called war on terror,

Moazzam Begg was imprisoned in Afghanistan in 2002.

Secret detentions, enforced disappearances and torture were widespread.

After a year in Bagram prison, Moazzam was transferred to Guantanamo.

In 2005, Moazzam was released back to the U.K. under strict travel conditions.

01:37 - 02:35

Durham University

Moazzam gives a talk to a group of students at Durham University.

DURHAM UNIVERSITY

UNITED KINGDOM

Moazzam: Good evening. Salaam alaikum. My name is Moazzam Begg. I am the outreach director for Cage, an advocacy group that fights against policies of the war on terror. I'm a former prisoner of the United States, held at Guantanamo without charge or trial for three years. And I'm very pleased to be speaking to you all here this evening.

For me, my life's work since my return from Guantanamo, has been about advocating for people in such places, people that you don't know about.

So, there were all these different groups of people, Libyans, Saudis, Europeans and so forth that I wanted to know their stories and I wanted to know how many these guys could I do something for? And so, I found that this. And I began to engage with it and joined. And I've never left since.

02:36 – 03:44

Drive around Spark Hill

Drone shots of residential area in Spark hill, Birmingham.

Moazzam drives around Birmingham and talks about his upcoming trip to Afghanistan. 

More drone shots of Birmingham.

Moazzam: After years of applying for a passport, I now finally have one. I’ve decided to go back to Afghanistan.

Moazzam: Yeah, some people are nervous. My daughter was saying, “Oh Baba, are you sure you want to go?”. For me, it’s a very, very, very personal journey. It’s something that I have had sleepless nights about since that time until now. And they haven’t ended. In fact, I often say that the experience for me of Guantanamo was not as profound as Bagram was. Not even as scarring. So, Bagram scars are very deep, intensely deep. 

03:45 – 05:45

London, Cage Office

City shot of London.

Moazzam walks into a building, before entering an office.

He greets his colleagues and sits down to talk about Muhammad Rahim, as well as his upcoming trip to Afghanistan.

Moazzam’s voice continues over travel shots to Afghanistan.

Moazzam walks into the airport, boards his plane, sits by the window and looks out onto the changing landscape.

LONDON

Moazzam: Salaam, how you doing bro?

Moazzam: So, Cage has been working on this case of Mohammed Rahim directly for at least ten years, but indirectly on the Guantanamo cases since 2003, with all that, all the prisoners who were held there without charge or trial. So, here’s this man, this Afghan, held in Guantanamo without charge or trial, coming up to 22 years.

And that really underlines my connection to this whole story of Cage and being connected directly to this story of Mohammad Rahim.

Moazzam: This is Wazir Akbar Khan in Kabul. For me to return here is going to be emotional. The intensions of this trip is to underline my experience with Afghanistan. For the whole story to come full circle.

And to see where the process that changed and impacted my life so dramatically, actually began. To go back to that place.

05:45 – 06:44

Arriving in Afghanistan

Establishing wide shot of Kabul.

GVs of the street.

Moazzam is riding in a car and taking in the sights of Afghanistan.

He comments on how much the city has changed.

KABUL

AFGHANISTAN

Moazzam: So, now we're entering

Wazir Akbar Khan.

Saleh: This is the roundabout. Do you remember it?

Moazzam: Yes.

Salah: The memory is coming back.

Moazzam: So, we came here yesterday but I drove past it and I didn’t recognise it because it is so different.

Moazzam: That wasn't there before, right?

Saleh: This roundabout? No, it's new.

Moazzam: Coming back here to Afghanistan has been so surreal. It’s the same me, the same place, just 20-odd years later.

06:45 – 09:39

Meeting old friends & new

GVs of Kabul streets.

Moazzam greets Ismail Rahim, the son of Muhammad Rahim.

The two men walk into a building, where they meet Farhad and Saleh, two men who were previously held with Moazzam at Bagram prison.

Moazzam speaks to Ismail about his father. Ismail breaks down, unable to answer the question.

ISMAIL

MUHAMMAD RAHIM’S SON

FARHAD

EX-BAGRAM & GUANTANAMO PRISONER

Moazzam: I hear some voices. Who is inside?

I didn't recognise Kabul.

Farhad: It has changed a lot. You won't recognise Bagram, either. Are you planning to go there?

Moazzam: Yes, and you should come with us.

Farhad: Praise be to God,

the old prison is still there.

Moazzam: I want to see it.

Farhad: The one we were held at.

Farhad: It's still there but there's

so much junk inside.

Moazzam: It's fine.

Farhad: We'll go anyway. We'll go and find the place where we were kept. It's a huge place, Bagram.

Moazzam: I have talked to the U.S. military,

with the lawyers and some of their politicians and I hope that they'll soon release as many [Guantanamo] prisoners as they can.

Ismail: Yes, so first of all, we need to raise

this issue with the [Afghan] government because my father is the last Afghan. So maybe they also

want him to be released.

Farhad: I have many friends from Guantanamo

who are now in the Ministry of Defence. We'll get in touch with them to make arrangements.

We also have friends from Guantanamo

who are in the Ministry of Interior.

Moazzam: God willing, when your father is back,

how will you feel? How will you and your family feel? Or is it still outside your imagination?

Moazzam: Please be assured that he will come out.  And keep this in your heart,

the thought that he'll be released. You have to believe it.

09:40 – 12:29

Moazzam’s Old House

GVs of Kabul.

Moazzam is driving around with Saleh and they two men look for Moazzam’s old house.

They eventually find his old home and get out to explore.

Moazzam remembers some memories of the U.S. invasion and breaks down in tears.

Farhad comforts him.

The men eventually leave.

Saleh: Your house was on this street. Now it's all changed.

Moazzam: This street? Let's get out and take a look.

Moazzam: So, I think this is the road I used to live on, I think.

Moazzam: My last day in this house was when the bombing had begun. The cruise missiles landed on the hill behind. That's the way that we saw The cruise missiles did land and the windows in my house, they cracked from the aftershock. And we got. The kids of the neighbours and the women and we hid in the basement and we covered the windows with mattresses because we thought maybe one of the strikes will hit here and then within a day or two, we were out. We left this place.

Moazzam: I never cry. I’ve been filmed for 20 years about the worst abuses. I never cry in front of a camera, or everybody.

Moazzam: Everything has changed except the memory.  The memories don't change.

12:30 – 12:51

Transition: Moazzam reflections

Establishing shots of a mosque in the distance.

Shots of Moazzam looking at the scenes below.

GVs of children playing nearby.

Moazzam: Everybody in Afghanistan has a shocking story to tell, but on the rare occasion when we get good news and good news is somebody freed after 20 years, that's like a win.

If Mohammad Rahim gets released, that's going to be a victory.

12:52 – 15:00

Muhammad Rahim’s Lawyer

Establishing shot of Kabul.

Shots of Moazzam Sitting inside a tea house.

He video calls James Connell, the lawyer for Muhaammad Rahim to get an update about his case.

Moazzam: Hello, James.

James Connell: How Moazzam, how are you?

Moazzam: I'm fine, thanks. Yeah, James. So thank you very much, first of all, thanks for doing this. I know we've not spoken directly, but I know about your work in particular in relation to Mohammad Rahim. Could you just tell me, when was the last time you saw him and how he's doing?

James: So, I'm at Guantanamo Bay now, and I saw him yesterday. He was in high spirits. He's a he's a man who really tries to overcome his circumstances and keep a positive outlook no matter what.

Moazzam: What does he expect, considering all the other Afghans have left Guantanamo?

James: Rahim has been held for over 15 years in Guantanamo without any charges at all, without any opportunity to spend himself or disprove any allegations against him. He still doesn't have any charges against him and no opportunity for a trial. But he does have is an opportunity for a administrative board composed of members of the intelligence community who will assess whether they believe he's a danger to the United States. Of course, he knows that other people are being released. He knows other people have been cleared. He does have hope. The team that we've been able to put together will be able to convince the members of the Intelligence Committee what is obvious to anyone who knows Rahim, which is that he poses no danger to the United States. He's not an extremist in any way. He's not a radical. He's a 57-year-old man with severe health problems who deserves to go home.

Moazzam: Thank you. Thank you very much indeed. It's I actually didn't know you were in Guantanamo and you just kind of told me. Off the cuff that took me a little bit by surprise, but actually was a good surprise because you are in the most appropriate place to talk about the subject.

James: Absolutely.

15:00 – 16:07

Bagram Permission &

Market Montage

Moazzam and Farhad are driving around when Farhad confirms that they have secured access to Bagram.

Moiazzam walks around Kabul, preparing for the trip. He walks through the market and get clothes tailors. He also gets a haircut.

Moazzam: Did you speak with the person

in charge at Bagram?

Farhad: Yes, I did. He said we can go today or tomorrow. I told him tomorrow.

Moazzam: So he's expecting us?

Farhad: Yes, he's waiting.

Moazzam: Now that I'm here, many doors have opened up.  I believe fate, destiny has had a lot to do with it. It feels like this was meant to be.

16:08 – 21:35

Bagram Prison

Dawn wide shot of Kabul.

GVs of streets below.

Moazzam gets out of a car at a petrol station and greets Farhad and some other men.

They fuel up and Moazzam speaks about how he is feeling about the trip.

They drive to Bagram.

The men arrive at the facility and Farhad speaks about his own experiences at the U.S. base.

They walk into the prison and Moazzam struggles to remember it. Farhad guides him through the prison, reminding him.

Moazzam goes down a hatch and explores a dark room, where he finds old U.S. military food packs.

Moazzam leaves the room and takes a deep breath, struggling to compose himself.

Farhad takes him around a corner and tells him a story of when he heard the voice of a woman.

Moazzam breaks down. Farhad comforts him.

He recounts the story of the murder of Dilawar, the taxi driver, who he witnessed get killed by U.S. military personnel. 

Moazzam composes himself and walks through the prison, before leaving.

Shots of Bagram over Moazzam’s VO.

Moazzam: Hello.

Salah: Hello.

Farhad: Hello.

Moazzam: Farhad said that when he visited a couple of years ago, he couldn’t do anything. He was incapacitated. I remember I broke down outside my old house so I can’t imagine what I’m going to do here. 

Farhad: I still don't know why they brought

me here or why they took me.

Moazzam: And if you asked them,

they wouldn't know either.

Farhad: No, they wouldn't. One of them asked me, "Why are you here?" I said, "I don't know why I'm here, why don't you tell me."

Moazzam: Oh my God. That’s it. That’s Bagram prison.

Moazzam: Are you sure this is the place?

Farhad: Yes, I'm sure. Look, they've put wood panels on the sides, where the guards would patrol. And the interrogation rooms

were up here.

Moazzam: Are you sure, brother?

Farhad: I'm sure.

Moazzam:

Moazzam: This is what we wanted to see.

Moazzam: This is the actual pack. This is the full pack. That’s the MRE. I remember this one. The Department of Defense.

Farhad: Come this way. Sa'ad was over there. And you were here in front of the wire always translating, talking with the soldiers. They brought me here. And when they took off my blindfold, I said, "Oh my God." They said, "No talking." That's when I heard the voice of a woman and children and so on...

Moazzam: Tell them, in cell number one they brought someone, Dilawar, a taxi driver, in 2003.

That was a year [after we arrived]. They tied him like this. With handcuffs. And they put a bag over his head. And they left him like that for five days.

Then they opened the door and started beating him and beating him until he was dead.

Moazzam: I can send messages back to former prisoners I know who were here with me and say, I walked in this place again and you know, the people that did the torture and abuse, they no longer here have a god. It's just cobwebs.

21:36 – 22:06

Mosque reflections

Shots of a mosque. 

Moazzam walks into the mosque and begins to pray.

Moazzam: I think there's different ways in which this country can heal those who are in power have a far greater onus than anybody else to lead the way. They lead the way by showing and proving that there's no retribution, no vengeance.

22:07 – 23:49

Haroon meeting

Shots of garden in a café.

Moazzam walks in and greets Asadullah Haroon.

The two men sit down for a chat.

ASADULLAH HAROON

Moazzam: So now, quite fittingly, we’re going to see the last Afghan who was released, last year and hearing from him will be a different perspective because he spent a huge amount of time in Guantanamo and can tell us what it’s like to reintegrate into this society.  

Moazzam:

You’re the latest person to be freed from Guantanamo. What would you advise, if Mohammad Rahim returns. What advice would you give him?

Haroon: We were thrown into a hole. We didn’t know when or how we would get out. The situation was completely desperate. The experiences and the pain of the past will remain forever but if we are able or if we try

to minimise this pain hopefully God will help us with this. So, I would advise him the same as I advised myself. That he returns to Afghanistan, re-joins his family, and live with them

and this live shall go on, and forget the past.

Whatever happened to us, it’s done, it’s in the past. But we must look to the future

and forget the past.

Moazzam: Brother, Haroon, thank you

(may Allah reward you with goodness) and may God ensure the release of all those detained in Guantanamo.

23:50 -

Bibi Mahro Hill reflections

Driving up Bibi Mahro hill.

Shots of Moazzam riding in the back of a truck.

Moazzam gets out and takes ophotos.

He eventually sits on a ledge and looks out onto Kabul.

Wide shot of Kabul landscape with end text.

UPDATE TEXT:

[Update on Muhammad Rahim]

Moazzam: In the end to live with anger and bitterness and hatred. It eats you up inside. And I can tell you that from personal experience. You have to be able to let go to go forward.

The journey was a great success, but there's no success until you've achieved the actual thing that you set out for, and that is the release at least of the one prisoner that we've been focusing on.

On a personal level, I think returning to this place… it's just a dream.  The Bagram part of it was a nightmare. So, it's a nightmare and a dream come together but I think the dream has overtaken the nightmare.