Jude Law plans Afghan return

By Mark Savage
Entertainment reporter, BBC News in Cannes

Gilley (l) and Law are in Cannes to promote the documentary

Film star Jude Law is planning a trip to Afghanistan to show a film about world peace.

The actor previously paid a secret visit to the country last summer, where he met Afghan officials, village elders and ordinary people to discuss the UN's annual peace day.

"They had no idea who I was," he admitted at the Cannes Film Festival. "I was really there as a B cameraman".

The resulting footage forms part of the documentary, The Day After Peace, which received its world premiere in Cannes on Monday.

The UN voted unanimously to adopt Peace Day in 2001 after a campaign by Law's friend, British film-maker Jeremy Gilley.

His 1999 documentary, Peace One Day, was used to lobby the United Nations General Assembly.

[Law] was a tremendous support. He took a great risk and I can't tell you the difference that makes Jeremy Gilley

Gilley has since travelled to nearly 50 countries including Somalia and Sudan and enlisted the help of key players including the Dalai Lama and former UN chief, Kofi Annan.

The new film updates the original documentary, and follows Gilley's efforts to persuade governments, militia and regular citizens to observe an annual day of peace.

Law is seen taking part in a promotional video for the campaign, during which he is talked into an eight-day trip to Afghanistan.

"He was a tremendous support," said Gilley. "He took a great risk and I can't tell you the difference that makes."

Other celebrities who took part in the campaign include Annie Lennox and Angelina Jolie, who is seen in the film visiting Gilley's modest home in Britain.

But Law, whose films include Cold Mountain and Alfie, said he did want to enlist ever greater numbers of A-list stars to the cause.

"Organisations can drown under the weight of too many faces," he said.

"But I will return to Afghanistan to show the film there."