Mark of Cain

Colour, 35 mm
United Kingdom, 2006, 90 min
Section: Another View

About the film

Basra, 2003. Two long-time friends, Shane and Mark, soldiers in the British army, go through their first combat mission. Face to face with the dangerous reality, the two are dragged into horrific events in which they play a very questionable role. Once home, their actions in that role come to light on account of photos Shane brought home as a dubious trophy. The shocking evidence of what they did in Iraq provokes a thunderous wave of reactions in their families and among the public, and both soldiers are forced with far-reaching results to reconstruct their actions... This story of two soldiers, which is based on true events, gave the director a platform for a reflection on whether the British army was psychologically and emotionally prepared for such a demanding campaign. The story was based on interviews with servicemen with experience in Iraq and on a wide range of material. In light of its explosive subject matter, the film’s release was postponed until the court martial of the story’s real participants concluded.

About the director

Marc Munden is a filmmaker known for the shorts, documentaries, and feature films he makes primarily for the BBC. His documentary films include Bermondsey Boy (1991), Girlfriends (1993), and The Outsider (1997). His television work has included films like Christmas (1996), Vanity Fair (1998 – BAFTA Award), The Secret World of Michael Fry (2000), Shiny Shiny Bright New Hole in My Heart (2006), "The Killing with Kindness" episode from the serial Touching Evil (1997), the episode "The Knight’s Tale" from the serial The Canterbury Tales (2003) and the serial Conviction (2004). His cinema debut was with the film Miranda (2002), a thriller about three identities in the form of one sexy woman. Mark of Cain (2007), on which Munden again collaborated with Tony Marchant (the writer of the successful The Knight’s Tale), was awarded at the Rotterdam IFF.