Director Tristan Ofield has offered the chance to see his latest and most personal film to date: Operation Oman. The documentary follows his father, Major Nicholas Ofield as he returns to Oman for the first time since fighting for The Sultan of Oman’s Armed Forces during The Dhofar Rebellion between 1969-1975.
The conflict, which is considered one of ‘Britain’s Secret Wars’, remains largely unknown by the majority of the British public due to, amongst other things, being overshadowed by the Vietnam War. Over 500 British soldiers fought in the conflict, of which 24 died and a further 55 were seriously injured.
The father-son team’s journey back to Oman is joined with archive footage from the conflict itself and interviews with other veterans, including Major Mike Austin and Colonel Mike Ball. Together they put the conflict into a social and political context, whilst examining the cost of the human sacrifice that went in to what is considered one of the most successful counter-insurgency campaigns ever fought.
The campaign was hard, savage and bloody. Major Mike Austin, a veteran of the campaign and contributor to the film, describes the nature of the enemy they faced: “If you were captured you didn’t expect to survive,” he said, recounting an occasion when a comrade was taken by the enemy: “As our side tried to rescue him, they cut his throat.”
As well as an examination of the conflict itself, Operation Oman explores the bond that exists between all soldiers in combat situations. Major Nicholas Ofield explains of his fellow soldiers: “Their life was in your hands. Your life was in their hands. You trusted them implicitly.”
Over forty years after the conflict ended, now seemed like the perfect time for both father and son to re-visit the region. Nicholas explains: “A part of me has always wanted to come back. It’s a time of my life that I look back when I felt really alive. It’s difficult to describe,” adding, “Coming back is a method of paying my respects.”
The film has received the backing of renowned explorer, author and Dhofar-veteran Sir Ranulph Fiennes, who both fought in and wrote extensively about the conflict. He said, “There were only around 140 of us in the Sultan’s Army at the beginning, compared to 3,000 extremely well-armed and well-trained enemy fighters. We were heavily outnumbered. If somebody got wounded, you might as well of shot them because it was impossible to get them out of there ok. People forget about the Marxist aggression of the time. We who were there were all happy to die for the Sultan of Oman, because the people were under serious threat from Marxism. I’m really supportive of Operation Oman, it is an incredibly important film that I hope reaches a wide public. The fact that so many people died for a just cause is worthy of remembrance, and this film can help make that happen.”
Dr. J. E. Peterson, the historian and political analyst who has also written and lecture about both the conflict and the region, has also lent his support to the project, saying, “The war in Dhofar was obviously a traumatic experience for Oman but it also had considerable impact on Britain. Having met and talked to many of the British soldiers, both seconded and contract, who fought in Dhofar, I have developed a greater appreciation of the struggles and dedication with which they carried out their tasks at great personal risk. This film not only touches upon some of the key events in that long war but provides an essential perspective of one of the participants who has returned to the scene of the war and his service to reflect upon the events and repercussions of decades ago. It may be only one part of the story but it is a valuable one.”
Director Tristan Ofield saw the journey as an opportunity for adventure, as well as a chance to find some common ground with his father: “My Dad was a soldier, I decided to be a filmmaker; they are two wildly different career paths, and it was great to find some common ground. I think it helped him see me in a context he’d previously not seen, and it certainly helped put the anecdotes, stories and experiences I’d grown up listening about into a very realistic context for me too. I think both of us had a big change of perspective on the other. I originally set off thinking this was my adventure as a filmmaker, but now I definitely think that it is far more about my Dad’s journey as a veteran.”
The film is being shown in several charity screenings around the country, with proceeds from ticket sales going to The Royal British Legion.
Operation Oman will be shown at Broadway Cinema on 16 November at 12.15pm. It will include an exclusive pre-taped introduction from Sir Ranulph Fiennes, and will be followed by a Q&A with director Tristan Ofield and his father Major Nicholas Ofield.
Buy Tickets
Operation Oman website
Operation Oman Facebook
Operation Oman Twitter
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
