Pål Refsdal

• Pål Refsdal (2010) Geriljareporteren. Gyldendal. Oslo.

In 2009, Refsdal via his production company Refsdal media, received 700,000 Norwegian kroner from the Norwegian Film Institute to produce a film about the daily life of Taliban for Novemberfilm. The planned title was. He stayed with a group of around ten Taliban soldiers in the Kunar Province for nine days in October of that year to gather material for the film. There he filmed attacks against American tanks, although he had been warned by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about entering the area. In November, Refsdal and his Afghan interpreter again entered the Kunar province to embed with another Taliban group. On 5 November, Refsdal was told that he was suspected of being a spy. He was then threatened with being executed that same evening, but his kidnappers also stated that the situation might be solved by a ransom, a prisoner exchange or Refsdal converting to Islam. The kidnappers originally demanded a ransom of 500,000 US Dollars. On 6 November, the kidnappers allowed Refsdal to talk to the Norwegian embassy in Afghanistan to discuss a ransom, as well as with Al Jazeera. The same day, Refsdal converted to Islam. On 12 November 2009, Refsdal was released. The Norwegian Foreign Ministry, who had been active in the negotiation with Taliban, denied that any ransom had been paid. About 100 people in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Norwegian police and the Norwegian defense worked to get Refsdal free. The department considered demanding that Refsdal pay part of the expenses, but decided against such a demand. Novemberfilm's documentary on Refsdal's experience in Afghanistan was shown on NRK in 2010. The film alleged that Norwegian authorities had been prepared to pay a ransom. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that talks about ransom had only been a tactical move on their part, and not anything they had seriously considered to pay. The Ministry filed a complaint about the program to the Norwegian Press Complaints Commission as they stated the documentary revealed details about the Ministry's handling of the case and negotiations with Taliban that could make it difficult for the ministry to help in the same way in the future. The Press Complaints Commission found that NRK and Novemberfilm had acted wrongly. A somewhat different international version of the documentary Taliban: Behind the Masks was broadcast by CNN in 2010 as part of a series on the Taliban. He was nominated for the Rory Peck Award for his film in 2010. The CNN series Taliban which Refsdal contributed to was awarded the National Headliner Awards in the Documentary or Series of Reports on the Same Subject in 2011. His book was also published in 2010; telling the story about his Afghanistan experience and his other involvements with guerrilla groups he has had as a journalist.