In journalistic parlance, a “fixer” is a local hired by foreign newsmen to act as an interpreter and facilitator of information-gathering. By 2007, 24-year-old Ajmal Naqshbandi had become one of the top fixers in Afghanistan. Then he was captured by the Taliban. This documentary begins with a moving videotaped message from Naqshbandi in captivity and then relates the Afghan government’s bungled response to the highly publicized kidnapping, which produced a tragic outcome. On the eve of Afghanistan’s scheduled Aug. 20 presidential election, it’s also a troubling glimpse inside a nation ravaged by violence, corruption, and poverty. Monday, Aug. 17, at 9 p.m., HBO
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