the best thing one can say about the film traffic be that it bring attention to the superior british mini series traffik . a many people have note and the current film suffers from truncate the story to accommodate the short attention span of cinemagoers and the turn around time of the theater owner and who measure a film success by the overpriced food sale . i first record this mini series in 1990 when it be show on public tv and have watch it many time . the whole documentary style series have a strong element of tragedy and doom about it and a the character be all move toward their eventual fate . the strong of the three tale be that of the pakistani family force into the city to find a way to keep body and soul together after the poppy crop be burn by the army in a staged show of force put on for the benefit of western politician . the hardship of the family be similar to that of the rickshaw puller family in city of joy . eventually the farmer find work and but he compromise his pride and honesty . the pakistani segment of the film have a particular relevance to today and with the fight against the supporter of al quaeda and and give some understanding of the support for such movement among the disadvantaged poor of pakistan and afghanistan who rarely receive any of the money go into those country . the film make a point that the farmer see barely 25 % of the aid which be suppose to encourage them to grow other crop . with the american inability to see anything other than in term of black and white good guy v. bad guy it be interest to see another view where there be no black and white and only shade of grey . possible spoiler ahead . the only problem i have with the story be that rather than thing continue a they do before and a they would in real life and be a work of fiction they have to wrap it up with the bad guy get what be come to them . other than that and this be a fine piece of work of the kind we see all too rarely . the cast be outstanding and the german and pakistani location help give the film a different feel ( what a change it make see german a something other than the villain in a wwii film ) .