Pain of Many

Pain of Many (Santhallen: Poen O Lawer, Bodvaran: Bircok Agri) is a 2006 Lacorian film about the Bodvaran War of Independence written and directed by John Larrent. The film features Kyle Johnson, Thomas Barydd, David Emerson, Rodha Valens, and Ahsen Galyk among others. The film is the highest grossing film to date with two billion dollars, and won all six of it's nominations at the 2006 Rickman Awards. The film was influenced by a book written by a former member of the Colonial Guard and National Loyalist Army.

Plot
Twenty-nine years after the war's end, journalist Samuel West (Jeffrey Kinch) is informed that his long time friend Jeremy Sanders has died at age 53, and that he committed suicide. While visiting Jeremy's wife, Jenna Hunt, Samuel enters Jeremy's private study, and finds an open book on his desk. The book is open to the last page, and reads "I cannot live my own life while I suffer the pain of many." Samuel takes what appears to be a journal home with him and begins to read from the first page.

The film then then flashes back to July, 1973. It shows a young Jeremy Sanders (Kyle Johnson), aged twenty, returning home to Manador, Bodvar from university in Lacoria for summer break. As he rides in a taxi too his family home through Agricota District, he watches a gang of Lacorian youths mug a homeless Bodvaran man. When the taxi arrives at the gates leading into Noster District, Jeremy has to change taxis as his first driver is Bodvaran, and isn't allowed into Noster. He arrives at the family home, and his greeted his father, mother, and brother Darrien (Thomas Barydd). They have dinner together on the front porch, but are disrupted when a riot erupts outside Noster in Agricota, and Colonial Police and Guard are sent to drive off the rioters.

The film then jumps forward to March, 1974. The Bodvaran Liberation Front led by Paul Vadukan has thrown out the Lacorian members of the Bodvaran Consulate, but are driven under ground by the Colonial Guard, where the they start a guerilla war, effectively starting the war of independence. After a long discussion with their parents, Jeremy and Darrien enlist with the Colonial Guard. They're assigned to a platoon of mobile infantry, and patrol the of streets of Wazakulan. Action consists of raids on suspected safehouses, weapon factories, and secret bases in the outskirts of the city. This continues until winter of that year, when the platoon is ambushed by a BLF section during a raid on a safehouse, and thirteen guardsmen, including the platoon's ultra-loyalist lieutenant, are killed. Jeremy is nearly killed by a rebel, but is saved by Darrien who stabs the rebel in the neck with his bayonet. The platoon captures five BLF fighters, and the Sergeant-Major offers the men a chance to execute "grey-skin bastards." Jeremy is eventually handed a pistol to carry out the honor of executing the prisoners. But he's hesitant, and doesn't want to kill the prisoners. When he doesn't do anything, Darrien grabs the pistol and single-handedly kills all five prisoners by himself. Later, Jeremy and Darrien argue over the killings. Darrien calls Jeremy a coward, while Jeremy responds by calling Darrien a murderer. They're interupted when their barrack is attacked by BLF fighters. Jeremy and Darrien are the only Guardsmen spared, and meet the captain of the BLF section, Tahmek Zaaz (Ahsen Galyk). When asked his name, Darrien spits in Tahmek's face and taunts the BLF fighters with ethnic slurs. In retaliation, Tahmek executes Darrien with a bullet to the head. Just then, Colonial Guard reinforcements arrive, killing many BLF fighters, but Tahmek escapes. Jeremy, full of rage over Darrien's death, joins his fellow Guardsmen in massacring Bodvarans in a small village outside Wazakulan as a reprisal (see Gjurany Massacre ).

The film then jumps forward to August, 1975. Jeremy is in a pick-up truck, wearing a shirt bearing the symbol of the National Loyalist Army. He's with various other men, including his section commander, Ben Royston (David Emerson). They drive up to a Maazist temple, which contains civilians at evening prayer. Jeremy and the section storm in, armed with assault rifles, and fire on the congregation, killing everyone. They then set charges throughout the temple, detonating them as they leave. They return to the safehouse, where they're greeted by fellow fighters, and celebrate the successful massacre. Jeremy meets a younger Jenna Hunt (Rodha Valens). The two get know one another, and Jeremy begins to have romantic feelings toward Jenna. She admits to not having strong loyalist feelings like threst of the NLA, saying that having ultra-loyalist feelings could only one killed faster. Later that night, the safehouse is attacked BLF fighters attempting to avenge the attack on the temple. Amongst the chaos, Jeremy spots Tahmek sitting in the front seat of a pick-up truck. But before he can attack him, he's knocked unconcious. He awakes to find the safehouse in ruins, and many NLA fighters killed. He finds Ben, and two leave the safehouse just as an Army patrol arrives and arrests NLA survivors. Jeremy insists on going after Tahmek, but Ben restrains him from leaving, explaining that Jeremy wouldn't get within a hundred yards of Tahmek. The two go into hiding until October, when they're contacted by Jenna, who's in Manador, requesting they meet her in Nostor, urgency in her voice. Fearing the worst, Jeremy and Ben board a train for Manador from Wazakulan, and arrive in Nostor to find it destroyed. They find Jenna who explains that the BLF assaulted the district and massacred anyone who resisted or tried to flee. Thats when Jeremy finds out that his mother and father have both been killed. He collapses in despair. He then states he plans to hunt for Tahmek, whom he believes is behind his parent's death.

The films jumps once more to February, 1976. Bodvar's security has fallen apart, the Army unable to stop the wave of ethnic violence and massacres gripping the nation. Jeremy, with Ben and Jenna's help, has found Tahmek's safehouse in Guulma. The trio make for the house, and Jeremy and Ben go on rampage through the house, before confronting Tahmek in his personal study. Tahmek shoots Ben, and in turn is shot by Jeremy. Jeremy then leaves the house, and joins Jenna back to her house. There they decide to board a refugee ship for Lacoria, where the settle down and get married.