winning hearts and minds

When Danish and British troops were sent to Musa Qala in northern Helmand in 2006 the order was clear. They had to defend their allies, the local police forces, against Taliban insurgents. On the surface, the local police force in Musa Qala were the spearhead of the West in the fight for democracy and human rights after the fall of the Taliban. In reality, the local police force was a brutal, murderous, and sexually abusive drug cartel. Filmmakers Martin Tamm Andersen and Nagieb Khaja expose these horrors, along with the alliance with brutal brothers Koka and Issa Khan. They also reveal the corrupt ex-governor’s grip on Musa Qala’s police, exploiting Western involvement for his drug trade. This collaboration ultimately led to Musa Qala’s fall to the Taliban, as locals faced a choice between a ruthless drug cartel and an extremist regime. WINNING HEARTS AND MINDS unveils the tragic betrayal that defined an international mission, leaving a city and a whole country in darkness.