“The Combatant,” an animated documentary short, tells the true story of a Lebanese Shi’ite boy transfixed by American action movies who is lured into combat by Hezbollah during its entry into the Syrian civil war. The fables he was told about the thrill of combat turn into bitter reality on the battlefield. He undergoes a profound change of heart and mind that leads him to an improbable new life.

The voice you hear is from an interview we filmed with the former fighter himself. In lieu of the video footage, we employed striking digital animation, both to protect him from retribution and provide a compelling experience of his story.

Directed by Joseph Braude (USA)