Review: Making Soapies in Kabul by Trudi-Ann Tierney

Title: Making Soapies in Kabul : Hot days, crazy nights and dangerous liaisons in a war zone

Published: Allen & Unwin March 2014

Status: Read from March 12 to 13, 2014 — I own a copy {Courtesy the publisher}

My Thoughts:

Intrigued by her friend’s appointment as the head of production for Afghanistan’s largest and most successful television broadcaster, Sydney based producer and actress Trudi-Ann Tierney promised to join him if the opportunity ever arose. Barely six months later, in early 2009, Trudi-Ann found herself navigating the heavily armed guards at the airport and IDE strewn roads to Kabul for a four week stint managing ‘The Den’, a bar catering to ‘Knuckle Draggers’ (western private security contractors) in the hope that once in-country she could pick up some work with the Moby Media Group.

Making Soapies in Kabul is Trudi-Ann Tierney’s fascinating account of her three and a half years in Afghanistan producing local television. Working long hours with few resources, inexperienced staff and hampered by language and cultural barriers she nevertheless produced the country’s most popular television soapies, Salam and Secrets of This House as well as a police drama, Eagle Four.

Established in 2003 after the fall of the Taliban, Moby Media’s programming was a mix of self-devised television funded by advertising and ‘projects’ financed by interested parties. Nominated the head of drama Trudi-Ann was also required to facilitate PSYOPS, ‘Psychological Operations’ which targeted Afghani viewers with messages designed to influence behaviour and attitudes, ranging from promoting trust in police to informing on the Taliban.

Filming largely on location, Trudi-Ann shares the trials of producing television as a foreigner in an Islamic war-zone, smuggling actresses in from Pakistan, negotiating with the military and local law enforcement, and bribing the cast to last the day of filming. Often twice the age of her young staff, Trudi-Ann’s goal is to teach them all she knows so that they can carry on when the time comes for her to leave.

Despite being trailed by personal security guards 24/7 and the backdrop of military activity, gunfire and explosions Trudi-Ann rarely thinks of the risks she takes by living in a war-zone aside from devising a hiding place and escape strategy from the various compounds in which she lives. Yet the intensity of the setting fosters a sense of recklessness that expresses itself in drug-taking, excessive drinking and promiscuity.

Written in a conversational tone with honesty, humour and heart, Making Soapies in Kabul is a compelling read offering personal insight into Afghanistan and its people, the thriving ex-pat community and Trudi-Ann’s experiences producing television drama in the midst of real conflict.

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