New Jake Gyllenhaal film The Covenant shines light on soldiers' bond with Afghan interpreters

Jake Gyllenhaal is set to portray a US Army soldier determined to rescue his Afghan interpreter in his latest film, The Covenant, which has been directed, produced and written by British filmmaker Guy Ritchie.

Previously titled The Interpreter, the film portrays the close bond that soldiers who served in Afghanistan had with the men who helped them interpret what local Afghans were saying  – providing an invaluable service to give troops a situational awareness and helping them understand more about the people, locations and other vital intelligence in the field.

The film is not directly about the general plight of Afghan interpreters left behind in Afghanistan following the international withdrawal of troops from the country in 2021 under the Taliban's return to power.

However, the film does highlight the problems facing thousands of Afghans who remained after the soldiers left by telling the story of one fictional character caught up in the turmoil and the efforts to find him and his family safe passage.

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The Covenant focuses on the deep bond created between Gyllenhaal's character Sergeant John Kinley and his Afghan interpreter Ahmed played by Dar Salim and the lengths they both go to in order to protect each other against harm. 

The high-octane trailer shows Ahmed going above and beyond to save Sgt Kinley's life after a violent ambush during which the US Army soldier is heavily injured. 

When Sgt Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family were not given safe passage to America as promised following the interpreter's bravery in the face of danger, he is determined to return to Afghanistan to rescue them before the Taliban discovers their location. 

Gyllenhaal has previously starred in military themed films such as the 2005 film adaptation of Anthony Swofford's best-selling Gulf War memoir, 'Jarhead' and 'Brother' in which he plays the sibling of a United States Marine Corps Captain who suffers from PTSD after being a prisoner of war. 

The Covenant has no UK release date as yet but is due for release in US theatres on 21 April. It is believed that the film will be streamed internationally on Amazon Prime.

Cover image: Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim play Sgt Kinley and Ahmed in film, 'The Covenant' (Picture: EPK.TV).