Canadian filmmaker and mother of two, Alison MacLean, risked her life on the front lines to make Outside the Wire, a documentary spotlighting female Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan. When the Canadian government decided not to support the film, Alison found support from a 92 year-old veteran. $3000 was scrounged up for her flight, $10,000 in gear was generously donated from a Richmond Manufacturing company and the only thing left to do was write her will. But that meant having “the chat” first with her kids. Not something most of us have to do before heading to work, that’s for sure.

Outside the Wire provides current and unbiased footage of Canadians in Afghanistan, so you can make an educated decision about what’s going on there, which is the fundamental role of a documentary filmmaker. Provocative and illuminating, her doc raises issues we should all be aware of and gives us ample to consider and discuss.

Alison feels women are one of Canada’s best strengths for working on the forefront of change, because they tend to do it ‘quietly.’ “The women are amazing, gutsy, proud; these women know they can die at any moment, but they are proud of the work they’re doing.” She’s caught some footage that is disturbing and graphic, the helicopter being shot at, children who are seriously injured, but the focus is mostly on what Canadians do as part of the military, and there is a sense of hope that emerges.

The people of Afghanistan are a heavily oppressed people, and children are not exempt as targets. I found it really informative to see the physical job functions of women in the military. In a world where trashy reality shows and ill-matured society girls dominate our screens, audience motivation becomes something other than getting informed. The Canadians featured in this documentary, doing the most complex and dangerous tasks of rebuilding a country destroyed, puts a lot else to shame.

One of the shinning moments, in the documentary, is an interview with the mother of a fallen soldier after his ramp ceremony – you’ll be floored by her composure and what she had to say about what it meant to support her son. We’re so proud of women in our country like Alison, who devote their life work to educating and informing us. With all the blips of news that inundate us on a daily basis, Outside the Wire offers a refreshing perspective.

~Shelley Budd

Outside The Wire airs on the W Network at 11AM today.