Son of a Lion is a 2007 Australian-Pakistani drama film set in Darra Adam Khel, in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
Gilmour visited Darra Adam Khel in August 2001, on his way from Australia to Britain, and wanted to make a film that would combat negative Western perceptions of Pashtuns and Muslims following the 11 September attacks.
[4] He wrote the first draft of the film's script (the initial title was The Bullet Boy) while working as a nurse on the sets of British TV series such as The Bill and Murphy's Law.
[4][7] Eventually Gilmour was introduced to Hayat Khan Shinwari, a landowner in the Darra area, who offered him protection and assistance in making the film.
[3][6] To minimize the chance of discovery by the Pakistani authorities or Islamist militants, Gilmour says that he used "relatively safe places such as inside walled compounds, empty mountainsides and valleys to shoot many of the longer scenes with dialogue.
[11] Gilmour says that his original script "was ridiculed by the locals I wanted to work with" and so "it was soon abandoned and we started from scratch.
[3][6] The screenplay is credited to "Benjamin Gilmour in collaboration with the people of Kohat and Darra Adam Khel, Pakistan.
Baktiyar's vocals were taken from footage cut from the film, specifically from a scene in which Afridi visits his wife's grave.
[18] Hayat and Niaz Khan Shinwari travelled to Australia for the film's festival screenings there.