My War, My Playlist
Documentary on the BBC World Service. The programme looks at the role music plays for the soldiers on the frontline in Afghanistan and finds out why the MP3 has become an essential part of a soldier’s kit-bag. Soldiers stationed at Camp Bastion describe their music as an essential part of their lives – helping to drown out the hum of activity around camp and helps everybody to relax in their free time.
My War, My Playlist reveals how building a playlist and choosing the right music to listen to takes on a real sense of importance. For soldiers stationed at Bastion or on the frontline at Helmand, music can rapidly become a prop, helping those serving to deal with the difficult and potentially traumatic reality of life serving in Afghanistan. The programme also looks at what happens when those troops arrive home, years after serving active duty in a warzone. Do these playlists still offer comfort, or rather rake up difficult and dangerous memories?
