George Gittoes is an Australian documentary film-maker and visual artist who has been in Afghanistan for the past 15 years.
His award winning documentaries Soundtrack to War and Rampage are visual reports that show the terrifying and compelling realities of war zones.
He has filmed and reported from conflict-ridden countries such as Bosnia, Rwanda and Iraq.
Gittoes talked to SBS before he departs again for Jalalabad in southern Afghanistan next week where he runs community arts centre, The Yellow House.
Interview by Farid Farid, SBS.
Q: Your documentary films and artistic murals depict the searing harshness of war, can you shed light on the morale and operations of ADF troops when you were stationed with them?
I've been with Australian soldiers in many places such as Western Sahara, Cambodia, Palestine/Israel, Somalia, East Timor, Iraq and Afghanistan.
I think Australian soldiers are better informed than the Americans say.
We give them proper, culturally sensitive training and workshops.
We wouldn't have Koran burnings, for example, because we understand a bit better the tough situation.
The Australian soldiers have more initiative than just sitting around the fort.
They interact with the local communities through woodworking workshops with children.
These are not top-down projects they are mostly created by conscientious individual soldiers who could not see the value of foot patrols.
Q: What are your thoughts on the latest string of US military indiscretions such as the alleged Robert Bales killings, urinating on bodies and Koran burnings?
From my own experience, the culture of Afghanistan is one of the most complex in the world.
It is based on jirga laws and customs where decisions in everyday aspects of life are made in a consultative manner with local elders.
It functions as small local democratic assemblies found within family and community structures. American forces did not respect this custom.
Australians as well but in a different way completely. With the Americans, there is a growing sentiment of mistrust towards them constantly disrespecting Afghan culture.
Killing innocent people, mutilating dead bodies and many more gruesome incidents that go unreported in western media but talked about widely in Afghan media.
In Jalalabad, during the Koran burnings there were riots. The city erupted in violence, people blew up US oil tankers.
I filmed all of this, I was probably the only Western witness who had the trust of locals because I have been working there for nearly 11 years even before the Americans invaded after September 11th.
Q: What is the sentiment regarding Australian troops?
We have also had a few stuff-ups, believe me. It all comes down to cultural ignorance and disrespect of jirga law.
It is not always Taliban as reported by the press but often disgruntled locals who attack Australian soldiers.
Australian lives have been lost by ignorance of cultural traditions.
The military machine believes that chatting with anyone on the street and being invited into their house will win them friends.
Unfortunately, these people become targets themselves because they are seen as complicit in the invasion.
When I met the Australian ambassador in Kabul, I was informed that taxpayers spend $1 million per soldier per year.
Yet, the maximum amount for grants for community development projects is only $10,000 and the forms are not even in Pashto where 70% of the country speaks that language!
Q: What is the situation at the moment, especially in that Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced an Australian troop withdrawal in 2013?
A: I can see the revival of Afghan and Persian culture. I've a created a community arts centre called Yellow House where Afghan stories are being told and facilitated by artists. I hope to continue working there over the next decade.
Yet, I wonder whether it will survive post-American - rather than Australian - forces withdrawing.
Almost certainly the Taliban will fill the power vacuum once all Western troops leave but they will have to adjust to a more educated population who have grown accustomed to freedoms and renaissance of their culture.
Saying that though, there are night raids everyday!
Three families that I know personally in Jalalabad have been raided by US and Afghan forces.
I've been a vocal critic of this terrible practice where they come with helicopters, noise grenades, dragging men on their knees, committing petty robbery and stealing a whole family's lifesavings.
This has created a lot of bad will with the Americans.
Q: Finally, what has interested you in living and working in Afghanistan but more generally your work in conflict zones such as Iraq & Rwanda? In essence, what are you trying to expose?
Afghans and Iraqis for example have a great sense of humour - like Australians - which I can relate to.
Afghans know more about Ricky Ponting, former captain of the Australian cricket team, than our colonel in charge in Tarin Kowt in southern Afghanistan.
My job has been rewarding in collaborating with complex and wonderful individuals and capture their stories in a way that humanises them.
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