Am Ende der Strasse

The Afghan Ring Road. A road that exists in reality and yet is a mystery. The 2200-kilometre circular highway connects the country's most important cities. It promised unity and prosperity. It has been under construction for sixty years, but it is still not finished. Corruption and mismanagement have swallowed up huge sums of money. After the invasion of Western troops, the road became a bloody battlefield.
Hardly any German journalist knows Afghanistan as well as Wolfgang Bauer. The Zeit reporter was on the ground many times, made the fates of the people vivid in award-winning reportages. Early on, he warned of a return of the Taliban. In August 2021, one of his closest colleagues was murdered.

After the fall of Kabul, Wolfgang Bauer returns once more. He travels the Ring Road, seeks out places he has visited in the last 20 years - and explores the question: Why did the West fail in Afghanistan? What does this failure have to do with development aid worth billions? And where do things go from here? His reportage is a parable about hope and failure in the Hindu Kush.