It could be an innovative approach, if the authors really intended to tell a "universal" story.
Imagine, if you will, a small country, after having been under colonial powers for centuries, finally gains its independence but goes through a bloody civil war where all neighbouring states meddle in, and starting to recover from that, is still an agrarian, poorly developed country with lacking education and scant few resources. Later on, gets invaded by one of the old colonial powers while getting minor aid from the other. All this viewed through the eyes of a career officer from a bygone age. This man served in the colonial army when wars were few and were gentlemanly affairs. Branded as a butcher by the losing party of the civil war, he did what he thought was necessary to pacify the country, but feels equally awkward by the semi-mythical status the victors award him - especially since he is from a different tribe and has little in common with the people on either side. Later on, there is a revolt who wants him to show support, no thank you, he has already seen one civil war, and the situation cools down. Later, a group of wealthy businessmen and military officers are plotting for a more organized coup and actually ask him to head the junta - again, he declines, not sharing their values, and also the idea is absurd; he, of the wrong tribe, having spent most of his career in service of the former colonial master, being from upper class, would become a figurehead for a ultranationalist populist regime? And in the meanwhile, social life presents him more and more challenges; no more arranged marriages or parties for nobility only, women are especially adopting worldly habits, his friends from the colonial army are in exile or back to their home country. But much as he would avoid war, the bigger neighbouring state sees an opportunity and invades. So he has to unite the people - some of whom he fought against not even one generation ago - and face and adapt to a changed battlefield. And when the country needs to be led out of the war, he reluctantly agrees, but only until it is certain that peace will hold this time and someone else could be chosen. And finally, his ailing health and fears of reprisals from the invading state force him to take exile far away from his country - without a spouse, without his friends.
I could totally see this story being applied to an African country - real or imaginary - and really finding resonance there (and globally). Of course, you could even transplant the story (with some details changed) to Vietnam, even the opportunistic neigbouring state would apply (many people seem to be completely unaware of the Chinese invasion that took place after Vietnam ended the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia; a bit too large an operation to call just a punitive expedition, except of course to explain afterwards why they "decided" to retreat). Yes, it could be a novel retelling and would make people look things differently.
But then again, this film could be just trolling for trolling's sake. At least the director has behaved that way: in TV interview he had stated how he had wanted to provoke a certain forum known for opposing the red-green politicians and how they had already threatened him -- FAIL, at the time of the interview, there was not a single threat on that forum, but on many other, non-political forums there were plenty. And they're already making a documentary on making of the movie that's no doubt (based on the director's and producer's comments) supposed to prove how all Finns are racist bigots and should be put to re-education camps or something to that effect.