Acclaimed filmmaker Carmela Baranowska’s work has been featured at many film festivals worldwide. In 2004, her documentary “Taliban Country” earned the Walkley Award, which is the Australian equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize in journalism. Baranowska will present the 45-minute documentary tonight at 7:30 p.m. in Octavia Room I in the Danna Center. The event is sponsored by the City College Department of Humanities.

“Taliban Country” is based on what she discovered while embedded with U.S. Marines in Central Afghanistan and later while doing independent reporting – making her the first independent reporter to travel behind U.S. military and Taliban lines in South Central Afghanistan. During her time with U.S. Marines, she learned there was clear evidence of the U.S. allies and Governor Jan Mohammed, with his local militia, terrorizing the inhabitants of the area. In later investigations, she also discovered the U.S. Marines were forcing the community to comply with their demands through various forms of abuse, cruelty and violence. Her findings led to inquiries by both the U.S. Army and Marine Corps.

She has also achieved success with other films such as “Scenes from an Occupation,” which won the Rory Peck Award and covered the last six months of the Indonesian occupation of East Timor. Her current project is a full-length documentary set in East Timor entitled “Welcome to Independence.”

The event is free and open to the public. – Tara Templeton