Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant, stars Jake Gyllenhaal and Dar Salim as a United States soldier and Afghan interpreter, respectively, who come together through life-threatening circumstances. Senior Writer Elijah Johnson recently had the opportunity to speak with the stars of the film.
Salim, who was born in Iraq and whose family moved to Denmark as refugees when he was six-years old, talked about what a privilege it was to play a character from Afghanistan who is presented as a whole human being and not a stereotype.
Gyllenhaal said that what drew him to the film was the context of the story. Saying that he’s inspired by the idea of selfless service, and that this story made him proud to be an American.
Both stars praised Ritchie’s talent as a writer and director, and Gyllenhaal discussed Ritchie’s evolving approach to filmmaking, saying that he’s unique because Ritchie starts with a script, but then “discovers” the story with the personalities and talents that he works with.
Watch the full interview below. Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant premieres in theaters April 21st!
Guy Ritchie’s The Covenant follows US Army Sergeant John Kinley (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Afghan interpreter Ahmed (Dar Salim). After an ambush, Ahmed goes to Herculean lengths to save Kinley’s life. When Kinley learns that Ahmed and his family were not given safe passage to America as promised, he must repay his debt by returning to the war zone to retrieve them before the Taliban hunts them down first.
Ron is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of POC Culture. Â He is a big believer in the power and impact of pop culture and the importance of representation in media.
