It was during the filming of the documentary Peshmerga that I was in the plains of Nineveh, late at night, sending a drone over Mosul to capture images.
We were sleeping in the infirmary of a military base, just me and two French technicians, above the city of Mosul and under the expansive sky. All were asleep when I awoke at 3 am and wandered out to star gaze. It was terribly beautiful. Amid barricades made up of sand sacks, there was one lone soldier protecting the base. I simply could not believe that he was without reinforcements. We were on the front line, only 500 meters from ISIS.
Not far below, I could see villages completely emptied out of any civilian presence. The ISIS fighters were hidden in people’s homes. Out of sight but very much present. Surprise attacks happened all the time and yet, there was just one young Peshmerga, Kalashnikov in hand to defend the base.
The soldier had only a lamp and every so often would scour the field for ISIS fighters who might be trying to invade the camp. We sat and he scrolled through his saved photos to show me on his phone. Comrades who had given their lives defending the world against barbarity and terror, the man’s family, his home. He was calm and collected. I, on the other hand, was agitated and on edge. I could not help but believe that the field separating us from ISIS must be filled with mines. And so, I asked the soldier and tried to communicate. “MINES, BOOM BOOM, right? MINES, BOOM BOOM, do you understand?” I repeated. I was sure the mines were all around. He understood and shook his head no. How was this possible?
Still calm, he swung his lamp around for another routine check. All of the sudden, I heard something. A sound that slowly and gently increased in volume. I was petrified as it approached. And grew louder. And louder. But alas, my new friend continued to show me pictures from his personal life. Nothing seemed to concern him and yet, I was frozen. And then three wild sheep appeared out of the darkness. These innocent, soft beasts had been the culprits and instigator of my fear. With this, I understood. The Peshmerga did not cover the field with mines because of the sheep who roamed the prairies.