A Journey in Afghanistan. After two decades of chaos and destruction, a country searches for its identity. Eight places. A cinematic encounter with people and their realities. A nightclub, a school, a hospital, a taxi – the people there talk about daily life in Afghanistan beyond the war and the Taliban. The director observes people and incidents on his journey, starting in the northern province and eventually reaching the capital Kabul. The result is a mosaic, presented as episodes leaving out West-European commentary.

As Barack Obama announces more US troops to train the Afghanistan army, John D McHugh reports on how US soldiers view their Afghan counterparts as an ill-disciplined, badly led bunch with a crippling taste for hashish.