James Glancy

Afghanistan is a documentary film produced by Featuristic Films, offering a detailed insight into the United States invasion of Afghanistan.

The documentary originally set out to capture Glancy's return to Afghanistan, reflecting on his experiences and pondering the worth of the U.S. invasion. However, during its production, U.S. President Joe Biden announced the withdrawal of American troops. This move triggered a swift offensive by the Taliban, culminating in the Afghan government's collapse.

The narrative combines Glancy's personal tales, stories from his father who mingled with the Mujahideen in the 1980s, and insights into the daily life and culture of Afghanistan. Filmed across six provinces, the documentary reveals secret interactions with Taliban members, frontline combat alongside Mujahideen and Afghan special forces, and the voices of a diverse set of Afghans—from female mountaineers to inhabitants of refugee camps, and direct confrontations with the Taliban.

Glancy expressed deep concern regarding the rapid Taliban takeover after the documentary's production, opining that their work might be among the last to capture the lives of Afghans during that era.[9]

Glancy co-starred in the Discovery Channel's Sharkwrecked. The show's producers wanted to set the show at the U.S.S. Indianapolis (CA-35) wreck site where one of the USA's worst documented shark attacks occurred.[10] However, owing to the scarcity of oceanic whitetip sharks in that region, the location shifted to Cat Island in the Bahamas. The revised goal delivered a conservation message in a survival documentary-style format.

The special moved to Cat Island in The Bahamas, which is one of the whitetip's last habitats. Glancy collaborated with Paul de Gelder, an Australian military veteran who lost a hand and a leg to a shark in 2009. Both shared family ties to World War naval tragedies.

The duo braved 43 hours in open seas, facing threats from sharks, sheer exhaustion, dehydration, and hunger. They relied on life jackets during nighttime to prevent separation and used a netted barrier to deter sharks.

During their filming, an unexpected shift in ocean currents doubled their distance to the coast, prolonging potential medical rescue to approximately five hours. This situation was further complicated by sporadic storms in the vicinity.

Despite the risks, Glancy observed the oceanic whitetip shark's cautious nature and the dichotomy between the creature's reputation and his lived experience. The documentary emphasised the need for conservation, noting the severe decline in oceanic white-tip shark numbers due to overfishing.[8]