Is Guy Ritchie's The Covenant based on a true story?
The action thriller is set against the backdrop of the US war in Afghanistan.
Guy Ritchie has been in particularly prolific form recently – and his second new film of 2023 has just landed on Prime Video.
Action thriller The Covenant follows hot on the heels of the spy comedy Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre, and sees Jake Gyllenhaal starring as an injured Sergeant in Afghanistan whose life is saved by a local interpreter who was previously affiliated with the Taliban.
Given that the film is set against the backdrop of the US War in Afghanistan, you might be wondering if the events depicted are actually based on a real story or whether this is a fictional story.
Read on for everything you need to know.
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Is Guy Ritchie's Covenant based on a true story?
The short answer is no, the film is not a factual account and the main characters – including both Sgt. John Kinley (Gyllenhaal) and Ahmed (Dar Salim) – are all fictional creations.
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That being said, although this particular scenario is not based on a true story, Ritchie did base the film on extensive research around the conflict - specifically on the relationships between interpreters and the US military.
The director explained during an interview with Critqal that he was inspired to tell a story about these interpreters after being struck by their vital roles in a number of documentaries that he had watched.
"I watched a series of documentaries about Afghanistan and I could see the collaboration between the interpreters and their sergeants, so to speak, their American colleagues, and how that bond developed," he explained.
"The deal was that they would end up in America and then how complicated that became, and how dangerous that was for the interpreters. I just think that's a rather interesting dynamic."
As reported by NPR in 2021, a huge number of Afghan interpreters said they were hired by the US Military with the promise of receiving exit visas – only for them to be left in great danger following the sudden withdrawal of troops from the country.
Meanwhile, star Dar Salim said during an interview on Fox, "At the heart of it, it is based on a lot of true stories.”
He added: "The fact is that all American Soldiers did put their lives at stake every day in Afghanistan, trying to do the right thing. And at the same time, all interpreters did put their lives on the line, every day. That is the truth of the film."
Gyllenhaal also said his portrayal of Sgt Kinley was influenced by the real story of his friend Zachary Iscol's experiences with an interpreter when he was a serving Marine in the Iraq war.
"Through Zach’s relationship with Abood and his family, I understood the extraordinary and important work accomplished and the sacrifice made by interpreters for our country," Gyllenhaal said.
Guy Ritchie's The Covenant is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video - try Amazon Prime Video for free for 30 days. Plus, read our guides to the best Amazon Prime series and the best movies on Amazon Prime.
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