Deedenow Cinema Production Afghanistan

Milan: Film Screening and Discussion about Afghanistan after 2014

2012-01-30T15:16:00.000-08:00

Storie Afghane: Film screening and discussion about Afghanistan after 2014

Amin Wahidi (film director), Novo Umberto Maerna, (Cultural Assessor of Province of Milan), Gian Micalessin, (Journalists in conflict zones) and Marco Masante (director of photography) were the speakers in this event in Milan.

How simply a good film is made: Making-of "A Separation" a film by Asghar Farhadi

2012-01-18T11:28:00.000-08:00

"A Separation" a film by Asghar Farhadi (Iranian) winner of Golden Globe Award 2012 as The Best Foreign Language Film

Complete List of its Winnings and Nominations

"The Last Hope" in post-production

2012-01-11T15:49:00.000-08:00

A national champion in the search of a greater triumph; to be The World Champion! A writer dreams to write a World Number 1 Bestseller, a fiancé discovers a harsh truth after some years, a lover betrayers his beloved one, a wife awaits her husband's return from a long exile, a friend cheats his friend, a promise that can not be broken, a system that does not save humanity, a law that does not work, a bureaucracy that kills and a country that is not for women! In such a situation what remains as “The Last Hope” is a protagonist to emerge and fight to fix all these, is it possible?!

“The Last Hope”

with Bashir Alizada, Cesare Musi and Emanuela Peppa

Writer and Director: Mohammad Amin Wahidi

Assistant Director and Production Designer : Marta Salvucci

Director of Photography: Marco Masante

Cinematographers: Chiara Calio’ and Fortuna Fonto

Gaffer: Boris Halperin

Sound: Santiago Augustin

Assistant Sound: Antonio Valerio

Costume and set design: Paula Corbellini

Production Assistant: Luigi Christian Patruno

Editing: Marco Masante, Santiago Augustin, Amin Wahidi

Backstage Photography: Giovanni Andriolo and Emanuele Manno

Language: Italian – English- Dari

Produced by: Deedenow Cinema Afghanistan and Remspot Italy

Milan- Italy 2012

backstage photo gallery
by Giovanni Andriolo and Emanuel Manno

More photos available on FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/aminwahidi

Storie Afghane: Una serata con due cortometraggi Afghani a Milano

2012-01-02T14:52:00.000-08:00

Comunicato Stampa - Milano, 29 dicembre 2011

Giovedì 12 gennaio 2012, alla Casa delle culture del mondo: “Storie afghane”, incontro con Mohammad Amin Wahidi, regista afghano rifugiato in Italia, e proiezione di due suoi cortometraggi. Intervengono Novo Umberto Maerna, Gian Micalessin e Marco Masante.

Giovedì 12 gennaio, alle ore 18.30, alla Casa delle culture del mondo, Via Giulio Natta 11, Milano (M1 Lampugnano): “Storie Afghane”, un incontro sull’ Afghanistan e la condizione degli esuli politici promosso dall’Assessorato alla Cultura della Provincia di Milano.

Durante la serata, vengono proiettati due cortometraggi di Mohammad Amin Wahidi, giovane regista afghano di etnia hazara, rifugiato politico in Italia: “Within The Mists”, girato a Milano in lingua italiana, presentato quest’anno all’International Exhile Film Festival di Goteborg, e “Treasure In The Ruins”, in lingua dari (persiano) con sottotitoli in inglese.

Con il regista intervengono: Gian Micalessin, inviato di guerra per il Giornale; Marco Masante, direttore della fotografia di “Within The Mists”, e Novo Umberto Maerna, Vice Presidente e Assessore alla Cultura della Provincia di Milano.

“Within The Mists” (“Nelle nebbie”, 29 min. Italia, 2011)

Uno scrittore rifugiato politico, solo e spaesato in una nuova città, ricerca un legame tra il suo presente e il suo passato. Non più cittadino del Paese che ha lasciato, e non ancora di quello nuovo, la risposta può essere, ancora una volta, l’amore per un altro essere umano. Oppure una nuova fuga, questa volta dalla follia della città.

“Treasure in the ruins” (“Un tesoro tra le rovine”, 26 min, Afghanistan, 2007)

Homa, ragazzina dei sobborghi di Kabul, di giorno va a scuola e di notte tesse tappeti. Ogni sera, la mamma, molto malata, le racconta una storia. Per vivere una di queste storie ed inseguire i suoi sogni, Homa esce dalla sua dura realtà e con i suoi compagni di scuola va in cerca dei tesori nascosti di Kabul sotto le macerie della guerra.

Mohammad Amin Wahidi (Kabul, 1982), rifugiato in Pakistan con la famiglia all’età di 10 anni, al ritorno in patria ha studiato teatro e cinema alla Facoltà di Belle Arti di Kabul. Tra i primi presentatori televisivi in Afghanistan di etnia hazara, osteggiato dai fondamentalisti pashtoon fino alla chiusura delle sue trasmissioni, nel 2007 ha fondato con alcuni compagni la casa di produzione Deedenow Cinema (Nuova Visione), che, nonostante rischi e minacce, supporta il lavoro dei filmmaker afghani che vogliano trasmettere un messaggio di pace. Ne fanno parte, oltre a Wahidi: Reza Ahmadi, Hanif Elham, S Jalal Masoumi, Masoud Zarifi, Ali Akbar Mohebi, Nasim Sahar Ganji and S Zekeria Rezayee.

“L'incontro e il ciclo di proiezioni sull'Afghanistan e la drammatica condizione dell'etnia Hazara - spiega il Vice Presidente della Provincia di Milano, Novo Umberto Maerna - confermano ancora una volta la dinamicità e la vivacità della Casa delle culture, che nel corso del 2011, sotto la diretta gestione della Provincia e senza ricorrere a costose consulenze esterne, è divenuta un luogo prezioso di dibattito culturale nonché luogo di autentico dialogo. Focalizzare l'attenzione sull'Afghanistan significa riflettere su uno degli scenari di guerra più sanguinosi degli ultimi decenni, ma anche su uno tra i punti più strategici dell'assetto geopolitico mondiale. Una riflessione - conclude Maerna - che potremo condividere con Gian Micalessin, inviato di guerra e tra i maggiori conoscitori del mondo afghano”.

Ingresso libero.

Informazioni al pubblico:

Provincia di Milano/La Casa delle culture del mondo, tel. 02 334968.54/30

www.provincia.milano.it/cultura - culturedelmondo@provincia.milano.it

Ufficio stampa:

Provincia di Milano/Cultura, tel. 02 7740.6310/6359

g.bocca@provincia.milano.it; m.piccardi@provincia.milano.it

Addetto stampa Assessore, tel. 02 7740.6386 - f.provera@provincia.milano.it

Buz e Chini: The First Hazaragi 3D Short Animazion

2012-01-01T12:19:00.001-08:00

Untitled from Republic Of Silence on Vimeo.

"Buz e Chini" is the title of the first Hazaragi 3D Short Animation that is being premiered in Oslo a couple of months ago.

Although since 2004 there are animators who make short animations in Afghanistan however the quality and the graphic style of "Buz e Chini" short animation is compared to the products of Pixar which is a hope for the future of Hazaragi Animations.

This short animation is based on an Afghan Folklore tale about a goat with its three kids that is being cheated by an old wolf.

Deedenow Cinema congratulates the premiere of this animation and wishes success for the future works by these animators.

“The Last Hope” a new independent short film in development by Deedenow Cinema and Remspot Italy

2011-11-16T12:24:00.001-08:00

In this photo: Bashir Alizadah, Afghan Champion of Kickboxing in Italy

Deedenow Cinema Afghanistan and Remspot Italy are announcing the launch of project of another short film titled “The Last Hope”.

This new short in development will be shot in December this year, if the weather will not be challenging.

The casting for the major roles is done and in a few days the pre-production process begins.

“The Last Hope” depicts the life of an Afghan-Hazara Refugee Champion of Kick- Boxing in Italy, surrounded with numerous challenges but still struggles to realize his biggest dream that is to win The World Championship!

Deedenow Cinema Afghanistan and Remspot Italy are collaborating in co-production of independent short and feature films with social subjects with a specific view on the importance of common humanitarian values and interests. The themes such as; immigration, refuge, social integration, racism, social injustice and “women’s and minorities’ rights” are the main subjects these two production houses work on.

There are two feature films in plan for the coming year 2012 by Deedenow Cinema Afghanistan and Remspot Italy;

“Misunderstanding” a feature film on immigration and social integration in Italy and

“Anche Gli Alberi Piangono” another feature film on “diversity and rights of minor groups of the society in Italy.

Deedenow Cinema Afghanistan and Remspot Italy are looking for co-producers for these two features for 2012.

More information on “The Last Hope” is posted on due time based on the progress of the project.

"Treasure In The Ruins" projection in Milan

2011-11-14T14:08:00.001-08:00

Proiezione "Treasure In The Ruins" a Milano

2011-11-05T16:09:00.000-07:00

Mercoledi 9 Novembre alle ore 20:30

Proiezione "Treasure In The Ruins"

Presso' L'Associazione ChiamaMilano,

Largo Corsia dei Servi 11

vicino (Corso V.Emanuele 28) Zona San Babila

Titolo del film: “Treasure In The Ruins” o “Tesori Nelle Rovine”

Scritto e diretto da: Mohammad Amin Wahidi

Location: Kabul (Afghanistan)

Durata: 27 minuti

Produzione: Deedenow Cinema Production Afghanistan e Razi Film House

Anno: 2007

Lingua: Dari (Persiano)

Sottotitoli: Inglese

RIASSUNTO

Homa è una ragazzina che vive nei sobborghi di Kabul con il fratello e la madre malata. Di giorno va a scuola e di notte tesse tappeti. Ogni sera sua mamma le racconta una storia.

Ascoltando una di queste storie Homa decide di uscire dalla sua dura realtà e vivere nei suoi sogni di bambina . Un giorno va alle rovine con i suoi compagni di scuola per cercare tesori nascosti, ma tutto ciò che essi riescono a trovare sono segni di guerra e distruzione.

Cosa succede se muore sua madre un giorno e la lascia sola con il fratellino?! Dio solo sa come una ragazzina orfana possa sopravvivere.

Luogo di proiezione: Associazione ChiamaMilano,

Largo Corsia dei Servi 11

vicino (Corso Emanuele 28) Zona San Babila

Quando: Mercoledi 9 Novembre

A che ora: Alle ore 20:30

Come si arriva: L’associazione Chiamamilano e’ a Largo Corsia dei Servi 11

vicino (Corso Emanuele 28) Zona San Babila e si arriva con la metro MM1, autobus 60 e 73

A short note on "A Separation" a film by Asghar Farhadi

2011-10-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

The day of its premiere in Milan, I did not have the chance to watch the film, but I only could meet with Asfghar Farhadi a couple of hours after the film première when he had a conference in Anteo Spazio Cinema in Milan.

Fortunately today I could go and watch the film. I liked it very much!

The film was notable and it really deserved the awards it had already won in different film festivals including the Golden Bear at The Berlinale 2011.

The director was smart and knew very well how to play with the emotions of the spectators.

I haven't watched though his previous films yet, but from now on, I would like to see all his previous works and follow his upcoming projects as well.

In "A Separation" the first thing I liked was the rhythm of the overall film. Quick sequences had helped adding more tension to the story.

If I'm not wrong, almost the entire film was shot by camera in hand or over shoulder, not still and stable shots. This holding on shoulder action of the camera work, helped giving more energy to the film and gave a good pace to the sequences. I liked the photography in general as well, while a lot of medium close shots were used that give a very easy chance to the spectators to get very close and feel being very into the core of "what is happening".

The performances were excellent, almost all characters. The actors some of whom are very famous like Laila Hatami have performed realistically, as the performance of non- professional once-used actors who are used to play the role of their real lives and are usually forgotten after one or a couple of performances.

During his conference after the premiere, the director mentioned that before he used non-professional actors in his films but then he has decided not to continue it anymore.

The story is about a couple with a teenage daughter who want to separate but can not for each of them has his and her own problems.

With a very simple linear storyline it begins with a scene in a civil court about the separation of the couple and then other things begin to happen and slowly on the spectators merge into the story and goes on with it until the last minute.

Going on with the film, the spectators begin to discover one by one the gaps between different social classes and their specific problems, the social complications that exist in contemporary Iran, the complication of laws and their controversy with the social circumstances of people’s lives.

The existence of “Human conscience” and “The Question of Morality” in a today’s society with its specific problems is a point highlighted, questioned and balanced in different circumstances to put the spectators the question, “What would you do, if you were him or her?”

The film does not have slogans and it is well- made in a realistic style. The scenes in the courts are shot very real and with documentaritic style.

The other point of strength of the film is that it doesn’t judge the characters by painting them absolutely black or entirely white, but it puts them in different situations with different reactions and gives a space for the spectators to think and judge them based on each condition they were in.

I think the good thing about a successful film is that "what comes next" would be in contrast with what the spectators expect, I like this method in filmmaking, and Asfghar Farhadi was successful in playing a game with the spectators to keep them in the salon until the end, and then at the end let them go home with a burden of thoughts in mind and many “Uuuuffffs”, "WHYs" and "I WISHs" and a sympathy or a feeling of the spectators with the characters they saw in the film; thoughts that may jingle for a long time in their minds and keep them thinking about the film and its characters.

“Within the mists” at the 10th International Exile Film Festival Gothenburg Sweden

2011-10-13T15:43:00.000-07:00

“Within the mists” was screened at the 10^th International Exile Film Festival in Gothenburg on October 8^th 2011 in presence of Writer/Director Mohammad Amin Wahidi.

The film was appraised by the present audience and the director was accompanied by long clapping of the audience in the salon.

At the end of the screening, the audience had comments and questions on the film which were answered by the director of the film.

The International Exile Film Festival is a non- competitive film festival held every other year in Gothenburg Sweden.

International Exile Film Festival is a non competitive biennial film festival which is held every other year in Gothenburg Sweden.

The first version of this film festival was held in 1993 and then it has been continuing until this year.

In the beginning it was called Film Festival of the Iranian Filmmakers in Exile but then it changed into an International Film Festival.

The tagline to know what type of film festival it is, is: "The World is My Home" and this festival aims to bring together the filmmakers in exile and refuge.

The director and the founder of the festival is Mr. Hussain Mahini, an Iranian Filmmaker exiled to Sweden.

This year version of the festival is held from 6-14 October and the films are screened in five different spots in Gothenburg city.

The participation, selection, screenings, nominations and winnings of "Within the mists" in other International Film Festivals will be reported on due time on this blog .

“Within the mists” Cast & Crew Premiere in Milan

2011-10-03T03:18:00.001-07:00

“Within the mists” was premiered for the first time for cast & crew on Wednesday September 28 in Milan.

Cast:

Smail Djennadi, Anna Castellazzi, Antonio Muscatella

Babacar Mbaye, Cesare Musi

Clarrissa Filippini, Emma de Nicola , Federico Lotteri,

Giuseppe Cillis, Roberta Frau

Sabrina Risi And

Behnaam Ahmadi

Crew:

Scriptwriter & Director: Mohammad Amin Wahidi

Producers: Mohammad Amin Wahidi- Lorenzo Marco Masante

Director of Photography: Lorenzo Marco Masante

Casting & Assistant director: Laura Manconi

Production and location assistant: Emma de Nicola

Set and costume design: Paola Denisio

Make up: Antonietta Tanzi

Sound: Mattia Simone Giubilei - Mohammad Rahime

Music and sound effects: Antonio Cavadini

Editing: Lorenzo Marco Masante- Mohammad Amin Wahidi

Plot:

A refugee writer/poet is trying to make relation with the city he has moved into but he fails. As a lonely man, he is a citizen of nowhere thus he tries to find a link between his present and past. He suffers solitude and tries to find a meaning for his life, could it be love, love of a human being. would he leave the city and its crazy people, could this be a concrete solution for him?

The first festival screening of “Within the mists” is October 8 2011 at The 10^th International Exile Film Festival, in Gothenburg Sweden.

Participation, official selection, screenings and winnings in all other film festivals will be posted here on due time.

WITHIN THE MISTS officially selected at The 10th International Exile Film Festival Gothenburg Sweden

2011-08-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

Film Title: “Within the mists”

Written and Directed by: Mohammad Amin Wahidi

Location: Milan-Italy

Duration: 30 Minutes

Production(s):

Deedenow Cinema Production Afghanistan

Remspot Italy

Year: 2011

Language: Italian

Subtitles: English

Synopsis

Mr. X is a single man, poet, painter and writer. He is a refugee in a big city which he thinks has swollen his identity.

His poems are refused by publishers and he doesn’t find a love.

Every night he has nightmare and thinks he has lost himself in this big city.

He goes to a doctor because his friends have counseled him, and in the first look, he falls in love with the doctress, seeing her beautiful eyes.

One day he finds falling red apples from the basket of an old lady on the street, he follows her to give her back the apples, but she disappears.

Since then, with those red apples he falls in love with a girl every night he dreams.

Finally one day, he meets two people in a bar: the lady of the read apples and a beautiful barkeeper that is mistaken to his doctress, but they say none of them knows him. He leaves the bar angrily and outside the bar he meets the girl of his dreams with another man but she doesn’t know him either.

It is the day he decides to leave this city and its entire crazy people.

Click Here to see Exile Film Festival

WITHIN THE MISTS is ready

2011-07-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

Film Title: “Within the mists”

Written and Directed by: Mohammad Amin Wahidi

Location: Milan-Italy

Duration: 29 Minutes

Production(s):

Deedenow Cinema Production Afghanistan

Remspot Italy

Year: 2011

Language: Italian

Subtitles: English

Plot

A refugee writer/poet is trying to make relation with the city he has moved into but he fails. A man alone, he is a citizen of nowhere thus he tries to find a link between his present and past. He suffers solitude and tries to find a meaning for his life, could it be love, love of a human being. At the end he leaves the city and its crazy people, but could this be a concrete solution for him? In three words this film is about: nostalgia, solitude and homelessness.

Within the mists?!

2011-01-23T16:08:00.000-08:00

“Within the mists” is the title of an independent short film in post production by Deedenow Cinema Afghanistan and Rem-spot Italy.

The story is about an artist being lost within the mists of the city he lives in. He is being lost in his illusions and the existing realities around him and tries to come out of this situation.

Smail Djennadi has played the role of Mr. X in this short film.

The bad whether this year lengthened the project until mid January while it had began late November.

It has been now three years of my residence in Italy, and so far what only I could do was writing screenplays for short films hoping to be realized one day on the land I am trying to find me once again out of the mists that surrounds me. Out of several screenplays I have written so far to be self produced, this short is the first one as the beginning of moving on track once again.

It has been a nice experience though, especially getting to know many good people and making many good friends and collaborators that could result collaborations in the future projects.

Here I ought to thank the crew members; Marco Masante, Laura Manconi, Paola Denisio, Emma De Nicola, Smail Djennadi Reza Karimi, Mattia Giubilei and the friends of ChiamaMilano who helped us during the casting.

A short film by a young Hazara filmmaker from Afghanistan

2011-01-23T16:02:00.000-08:00

Mohmmad Reza Sahibdaad

Lately the Iranian Regime has stopped more than one thousand and five hundred Afghan fuel trucks in their borders when they were transiting to Afghanistan.

This has caused the rapid rise in the cost of fuel in this cold winter in Afghanistan while millions of people are dying of hunger and coldness.

The Iranian Regime would not suffice only to training and supplying the Taliban with weapons for destruction of Afghanistan, but also they kill the Afghan refugees who are in the search of sanctuaries in Iran. The IRI Regime would also torture even the children of those refugees who sought for sanctuaries in Iran.

Here is a short film by a keen-eyed young Afghan (Hazara) filmmaker on how life passes for the children of Afghan refugees in Iran, the generation that has a gloom future in front of them in Iran.

The director is Mohammad Reza Sahibdaad who is now residing in France.

Deedenow Cinema will post M. Reza Sahibdaad’s other works in the future.

The Sweet Melody of Politics

2011-01-23T15:15:00.000-08:00

It is worth to vote for a documentary done by a new talent female Hazara Filmmaker who tries to give a different identity for her gender.

Mona Haidari, a 21 year old, Hazara filmmaker who participated in Atelier Varan documentary workshops in Kabul has made this documentary.

The documentary is about a young woman, who first became a quite famous singer through a music competition show on TV who then runs for politics, in the land of contrasts, where the women are imprisoned in the cages of ignorance by men.

On this land, when a girl is born in a family it is considered mistreatment of the nature, and then, when a girl becomes an artist, she is considered to be against the culture.

To break this taboo against the women, it is helpful to encourage the young female filmmakers who try to depict the lives of those women taking parts in struggles for their rights and bringing changes to the lives of other women.

Voting this documentary would be an encouragement to the filmmaker to reflect more and more women’s voices in her future works.

The Sweet Melody of Politics from Women's Voices Now on Vimeo.

An emerging Hazara Author to compete Khaled Husseini with his novel manuscript in hand

2010-11-07T14:37:00.000-08:00

Emerging Hazara Author ...... READ MORE on HAZARA PEOPLE and Turkic Press

Our Condolences to Mohammad Khadem Haidari for his elder brother’s sudden death

2010-10-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

Mohammad Khadem Haidari on the set of 'Reame del nulla' 2009 Italy

Lately we heard that famous Afghan filmmaker Mohammad Khadem Haidari is mournful for the sudden death of his elder brother in a car accident in Iran, hence Deedenow Cinema Production Afghanistan submits cordial condolences to Mr. Haidari and his family members.

Losing a dear person is a big sorrow, a never-forgetting burden on one’s heart, thus accepting the fact that death is an irrefutable path that every one has to follow earlier or later, can give a bit of peace and patience to the mournful family.

We hope this sorrow as a sear on his heart, would not affect Mohammad Khadem Haidari’s efforts in his filmmaking activities which has made a remarkable contribution to the Emerging Afghan Cinema of the new era.

Mohammad Khadem Haidari’s profile

Mohammad Khadem Haidari as a diamond under the ash has always tried to keep low profile and do great things off screen –behind the scenes without thinking about fame and positions but only and only cinema and the art of how to reflect a thought or an emotion through images.

Haidari has studied cinema in Baagh e Ferdaus, a cinema faculty in a Teheran University in Iran then has worked as a filmmaker and television producer in Kabul from 2002 -2006 when he has contributed to many successful film projects in Afghanistan.

In addition to making films in this period, he has worked for production of youth programs in RTA Afghanistan National Television in Kabul and Bamyan.

After four fruitful years of filmmaking, he was forced to immigrate to Italy due to security problems he had in 2006 in Afghanistan.

Here in Italy, in addition to documentaries he has made, he has a short and two feature films in his carrier which were all screened in Venice Film Festival 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Mohammad Khadem Haidari’s Filmography

Short films

Shabnam 10’ (2003 Afghanistan)

Maama (2005 Afghanistan)

The Venetian Girl 10’ (2007 Italy)

As Cinematographer

Yalda 70’ (2004 Afghanistan)

Baam e Donya documentary series on Bamyan (2005 Afghanistan)

Drought in Badakhshan (2004- 2005 Afghanistan)

Assistant Director

Spring of Hope 120’ (2006 Afghanistan, India)

Assistant set and costume

Osama 83’ (2003 Afghanistan, Japan, Ireland, the Netherlands, Iran)

Winner of Camera D’oro Cannes 2004, Winner of "Golden Globe Best Foreign Language Film" - Afghanistan

Director of photography and cinematographer

Reame del nulla 45’ (2009 Italy, Afghanistan)

Cry me out 70’ (2010 Italy, Afghanistan)

Ready to be published; after two long years of hard work

2010-09-16T03:21:00.001-07:00

Photo by Robert Maier

‘Once there was a time, when there was love but against it there was a reaction of hate, there was the hand of friendship but against it there was the gun of enmity. There were struggles of men versus the hands of fate on the waves of life. There were only good memories left in front of hard times with harsh truths. There was thirst for power but there was still trend for forgiveness. There was darkness of disappointment but on the other side there was still hope for the brightness of the dawn. There were wails while there was still laughter. There was war and there was peace. There were massacres and there were survivors.

But once the time changed and cruelty took over and fear began ruling on everyone’s heart. Love was replaced by hate. Nothing was seen but redness of blood, bloods of weak human beings shed by the fiercer ones of the same kind. It was then time when love, and humanity were both taken away by the wind of time, instead darkness was covering everyone’s eyes. The little boys became grown men in overnight to pick up guns and kill proudly mankind of the hostiles when hostility was expanding day by day and people went to slavery; in such a situation cruelty had no limits!

In the twilight time it was hard to distinguish cries of men from the howls of wolves. There was only thirst for blood and there was passion for revenge and it continued generation to generation until one man came to save his nation breaking the chains of slavery and tearing the ropes of Juwalis and again the sign of hope began to blink in the eyes of millions of people.’

It all happened in the era when being Hazara was a crime on a land today called Afghanistan and I brought all of it in a wonderful novel.

***

Finally these days I am sighing for having finished the first step of work; my novel is completed and is now the time to talk with a good publisher/distributor.

Completing a fiction work in a second language has never been easy for me, however nowadays after two long years of hard work I am more and more convinced to believe in success when there is faith, strong motivation, determination and self-confidence behind even a very difficult work.

I began writing the first lines of my novel in January 2008 since the basic idea was bred in my mind, but then I quit writing it for I was blogging, studying and working to afford my life expenses.

In early 2009 I found a job in a bookstore ‘as a librarian’ when I was attracted towards literature, and then in the same year while studying cinema and I could not fund my short films, it was when broken heart I was really determined first to complete my novel. Since then I tried to allocate the little spare time I had to write and wrote it bit by bit and then there was no more time for my blogs and it cost me my silence in blogging thereafter.

In spite of all its hardships with a second language when it is not one’s first one, I was familiar with English for about ten years; two years of studying, three years of teaching experience and more than three years of translation experience and writing several essays in English had all helped me advance my English level to be able to write a novel, of course it may not be the same level of a native English writer as I was not born and raised in an English speaking country, but still I did my best.

***

As the title of the novel is not finalized, neither the publisher is specified yet, I wouldn’t say much about the outline, rather I would only say what kind of book it is and why it is worth mentioning about it here and now in advance –before it is published.

First I should thank Khaled Husseini who with his “The Kite Runner” broke the long-time taboo of talking about prohibited issues, hidden truths and untold stories in Afghanistan that were for long considered as ‘against “the fake” fragile national unity’, and he opened the way for the other emerging authors on stories of such kind.

My novel completes what Khaled Husseini had not reached to, in his novel “The Kite Runner”.

“The Kite Runner” with all its success, had just touched roughly a part of the existing harsh realities in the country but not uncovered it fully and many questions remained unanswered while in mine one I crossed the red-line borders and depicted all those untouched issues for my readers; the hidden layers of the long Hazara- Pashtoon conflicts in Afghanistan based on the existing and historical realities.

In a short saying my novel is a more completed and a more- in-depth version of Khaled Husseini’s and the good point is that; it is written by a Hazara Author, a remainder of the historical mass massacre of the Hazaras in Afghanistan thus it has its originality! It is written in a first person protagonist and in English of course.

You will read how a mass massacre and slavery affected the lives of four generations of a minor ethnic ‘the Hazaras’ through passage of time in Afghanistan and how a man struggles first to survive and then stand to save his nation.

Afghanistan is still the land of contrasts and you can find different images - in -contrast in this country and it is worth knowing a country more thoroughly by a good novel.

My work is a novel, a fiction work, partly inspired by the lives of real people but is built up and mixed with fantasy elements, imaginations and is nourished by the help of historical facts, evidences and existing realities in our society.

By reading my novel ‘that doesn’t have a definite title yet’, you will be traveling to the real Afghanistan through forty years of life of the protagonist, sixty years of lives of his forefathers and will be feeling yourself a part of it, a part of the history of humanity on a part of the globe which is on the top of headlines of media of the world again these days.’

With this novel, I let you see the world through Chinese-like little eyes of a Hazara.

The story begins in Afghanistan of 1960s and flashbacks to 1920s and then comes back and continues until 1990s all in Afghanistan. Then Pakistan is the location and then Italy and finally another Imaginary Land and then finishes back in Afghanistan of 2014 with a happy ending.

It is to add that, this novel is a strong potential for adoption into a major motion picture.

***

If you follow my blogs and my Face Book postings, you will know about it more, the soon there will be accords on its publication and distribution dates.

If you have read ‘The Kite Runner’ and liked it, I should say, definitely reading this one is a must!

The USA, Canada, the UK and Australia will be the first four countries my novel will be distributed in.

In advance,

With love,

From the core of my heart,

I send my salutes

To all my readers!

M. Amin Wahidi

CLICCA QUI per la versione Italiana di questo articolo

Pronto per essere pubblicato dopo due lunghi anni di duro lavoro

2010-09-16T03:17:00.000-07:00

FOTO DA COSIMO FILIPPINI

"C'era una volta un tempo in cui regnava l'amore ma contro di esso si scagliava l'odio, c'era amicizia ma contro di essa si alzavano le armi dell'inimicizia. C'erano uomini in lotta contro il destino trasportati dalle onde dell'esistenza. C'erano puri e buoni ricordi a scontrarsi con tempi difficili e verità crudeli. C'era sete di potere ma ancora si sceglieva di perdonare. C'era il buio del disinganno ma al contempo si sperava ancora in un' alba lucente. C'erano lamenti e risate, c'era la guerra e c'era la pace, c'erano massacri e sopravvissuti.

Ma un giorno tutto questo cambiò, la crudeltà prese il sopravvento e la paura si impossessò del cuore di ognuno. L'amore fu sostituito dall'odio. Non si vedeva che sangue, il sangue di essere umani che scorreva per mano di altri essere umani più feroci. Fu il momento in cui il vento del tempo spazzò via amore e umanità e un velo nero scese a coprire gli occhi di ognuno. I bambini divennero nel giro di una notte adulti capaci di brandire un'arma e uccidere con fierezza mentre l'ostilità cresceva di giorno in giorno e le persone erano ridotte in schiavitù; la crudeltà non aveva limite!

Al crepuscolo era difficile distinguere le urla degli uomini dagli ululati dei lupi. C'erano soltanto sete di potere e ansia di vendetta e questo andò avanti per generazioni, finché un uomo venne a salvare il suo paese spezzando le catene della schiavitù e strappando le corde di Juwalis; allora di nuovo un segno di speranza tornò a brillare negli occhi di milioni di persone."

Tutto successe all'epoca in cui essere un Hazara era considerato un crimine nella terra che oggi viene chiamata Afghanistan. Io ho raccolto il tutto in un meraviglioso romanzo.

***

In questi giorni sto finalmente tirando sospiri di sollievo per aver completato una prima parte del mio lavoro: il mio romanzo è finito ed è venuto il momento di parlare con un buon editore.

Portare a termine un lavoro di fiction in una lingua che non è la mia non è stato facile. Tuttavia al momento attuale dopo due anni di duro lavoro sono sempre più convinto si poter credere al successo se c'è fede, forte motivazione, determinazione e fiducia in se stessi, anche dietro a una lavoro veramente difficile.

Ho cominciato a stendere le prime righe del mio romanzo nel gennaio del 2008 non appena l'idea di base si è formata nella mia testa, ma poi ho interrotto la scrittura perché dovevo curare il mio blog, studiare e lavorare per permettermi le spese di tutti i giorni.

All'inizio del 2009 ho trovato lavoro in una libreria "come libraio" visto che ero interessato alla letteratura. Nel corso dello stesso anno studiavo cinema e non potevo finanziare i miei corti. Divenni perciò determinato a portare a termine per prima cosa il mio romanzo. Da allora gli ho dedicato tutto il mio tempo libero scrivendolo pezzo dopo pezzo: in questo modo non ho più avuto tempo per i miei blog e sono stato costretto al silenzio in quel frangente.

Malgrado tutte le difficoltà di una seconda lingua, l'inglese mi è stato familiare per circa una decina d'anni: due anni di studio, tre anni di esperienza nell'insegnamento e più di tre anni a tradurre e scrivere numerosi saggi mi hanno aiutato ad innalzare il livello del mio inglese fino ad essere in grado di scrivere un romanzo. Naturalmente non sarà mai lo stesso livello di uno scrittore madrelingua, ma ho fatto del mio meglio.

***

Poiché il titolo del romanzo non c'è ancora e non si conosce l'editore, non farò una presentazione dettagliata ma vorrei piuttosto dire di che libro si tratta e perché vale la pena di parlarne d'ora in avanti, prima che esso sia pubblicato.

Per prima cosa devo ringraziare Khaled Husseini che con il suo "The kite runner" (tradotto in Italia "Il cacciatore di aquiloni", n.d.t.) ha rotto un tabù che per anni aveva impedito di parlare di argomenti proibiti, verità nascoste e storie non dette che in Afghanistan sono state a lungo considerate "nemiche della (finta) fragile unità nazionale". Egli ha spianato la strada ad altri autori emergenti con storie di tal genere.

Il mio romanzo completa "Il cacciatore di aquiloni" dicendo cose che Khaled Husseini non aveva detto.

"Il cacciatore di aquiloni", che ha avuto tanto successo, è arrivato a sfiorare le dure realtà del nostro paese senza però metterle a nudo completamente e lasciando molte questioni senza risposta. Con il mio romanzo invece io ho oltrepassato i confini della linea rossa tratteggiando per i miei lettori argomenti mai ancora descritti: gli strati nascosti del lungo conflitto Hazara-Pashtoon. Tutto si basa su realtà storiche esistenti.

Per dirla brevemente, il mio romanzo è una versione più completa e approfondita di quello di Husseini. Il punto a suo favore è questo: esso è scritto da un autore Hazara, un testimone diretto del massacro di massa degli Hazara in Afghanistan, ecco in cosa consiste la sua originalità! E' scritto da un protagonista in prima persona e naturalmente in inglese.

Leggerete di come un massacro di massa e le schiavitù hanno colpito le esistenze di quattro generazioni della minoranza etnica degli "Hazara" in Afghanistan e di come un uomo lotta per sopravvivere e in seguito si propone di salvare la propria nazione.

L'Afghanistan è tuttora una terra piena di contraddizioni dove si ritrovano immagini in contrasto tra loro. E' buona cosa fare la conoscenza approfondita di un paese attraverso un buon romanzo.

Il mio lavoro è un romanzo, una fiction in parte ispirata alla vita di persone reali ma costruita mescolandovi elementi di fantasia. E' arricchita dalla presenza di fatti storici e realtà esistenti nella nostra società.

Leggendo il mio romanzo (che non ha ancora un titolo) viaggerete attraverso l'Afghanistan nei quarant'anni di vita del protagonista e nei sessant'anni dei suoi antenati e sentirete anche voi di far parte di queste esistenze, parte della storia di un'umanità in una regione del globo che in questo periodo è sempre sulle prime pagine dei giornali di tutto il mondo. Con questo romanzo, vi mostrerò il mondo attraverso gli occhi a mandorla di un Hazara.

La storia ha inizio nell'Afghanistan degli anni '60 del Novecento, con dei flashback negli anni '20 e continua a partire dagli anni '90, sempre in Afghanistan. Poi la scena si sposta in Pakistan e in Italia e infine in una Terra Immaginaria per poi tornare nell'Afghanistan del 2014 con un lieto fine.

Bisogna aggiungere che il romanzo si presta fortemente a essere d'ispirazione per un film lungo.

***

Se seguirete il mio blog e i miei commenti su Facebook potrete saperne di più non appena ci saranno accordi per la pubblicazione e date di distribuzione.

Se avete letto "Il cacciatore di aquiloni" e vi è piaciuto, posso dirvi che leggere il mio romanzo è quasi un obbligo!

Il mio romanzo sarà distribuito per prima cosa negli Usa, in Gran Bretagna e in Australia.

In anticipo, con amore, dal profondo del mio cuore un saluto a tutti i miei lettori!

M. Amin Wahidi

CLICK HERE for the English Version of this post

Call for entries at African, Asian and Latin American Film Festival of Milan

2009-11-03T14:42:00.000-08:00

Deedenow Cinema Production ® Afghanistan has received a message from the African Asian and Latin American Film Festival of Milan for the participation of films from Afghanistan.

The content of the message is posted below for the Afghan Filmmakers who wish to send their films to this festival in Milan Italy.

Dear Madame, Dear Sir,

We are pleased to inform you that the 20th African, Asian and Latin America Film Festival will take place from March the 15th to the 21st 2010.

This is the programme:

“Windows on the World” feature film Competition: the Competition presents fictions films made by directors from Africa, Asia and Latin America (minimum running time 60 minutes).
Prize: €15,000 - Public’s prize: €5000

“Windows on the World” documentary Competition: the Competition presents documentaries made by directors from Africa, Asia and Latin America (minimum running time 60 minutes).
Prize: €6000.

Best African Film Competition: fiction films from the most recent African production (minimum running time 60 minutes).
Prize €7500.

African Short Film Competition: the Competition presents short films (fiction and documentary) only by African directors (maximum running time 59 minutes).
Prize: €7,500.

Non-competitive section: the Competition presents fiction films and documentaries about Africa, Asia and Latin America made by directors who are not from these continents.

If you have any suggestion about new productions, you can contact us by Fax at the (+39) 02.66.71.4338 or by E-mail at our address
festival@coeweb.org

Please, find attached the Rules of the Festival and the Entry form.

Do not hesitate to ask for further information,

We look forward to hearing from you,

With best wishes,

For the COE

Alessandra Speciale

Entry form | Regulations

See the Homepage of the festival here

Bahrain Human Rights International Film Festival Calls for Entries

2009-10-27T09:37:00.000-07:00

Press Release
Bahrain Human Rights International Film Festival (BHRIFF) announced today its call for entries for the third term of the festival, the first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa which is organized annually and held under the patronage of his majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al-Khalifa, King of Bahrain.
The festival will be organized in the period from 1 to 4 May 2010 according to the organizing team.
Nasser H. Burdestani, Executive Director of BHRIFF said “We will continue year after year and in cooperation with our partners our celebration of films covering issues related to human rights”. He added “We are so keen in this part of the world in contributing to crate a healthy environment for dialogue between different cultures and civilizations and we strongly believe that films can play an essential role in this regard”
Burdestani added “We are so glad to note the success of our festival as recognized by well known human rights film festivals around the world as well as the general public and cinema lovers”.
The last day to accept films as confirmed by the organizing team is 31 January 2010. Selected films will be competing to win the following seven awards: Best Feature Film Award, Best Documentary Film Award, Best Director of Feature Films, Best Director of Documentary Films, Best Actor/Actress, Jury Team Award and Best Film as Selected by the Audience.
Burdestani announced “The Selection Team will be formed very soon consisting of well known specialist in the fields of cinema and human rights in cooperation with our strategic partner Bahrain Cinema Club”. The final list of the selected films will be announced by end of February 2010 while no films produced before January 2005 will be accepted for the competition.

Bahrain Human Rights International Film Festival

The Kabul documentary film workshop on it’s way to autonomy

2009-09-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

From July the 29th to October the 12th 2006, a first training workshop took place at the faculty of fine arts of the Kabul University

Ten students, of which four women from various groups of the Afghan society took part in the experience.

The workshop was a success. Ten short documentaries were shot by the ten first participants, depicting today’s realities of a reconstructing country with an insight view. All the films were broadcast by Radio Television Afghanistan in 2007. They had and still have an incredible career in international film festivals.
The equipment – cameras, editing and projection facilities - remained in Kabul at the Goethe-Institut for the students to use.

In 2007 we started a second level workshop around the writing, the production and shooting of a documentary serial “Children of Kabul“. The workshop featured an editing option. Eight people( mostly from the 2006 workshop) took part, five as directors and three as editors.
The project continued in 2008 with the last shootings, a first editing session and the screening of the films in Kabul.

The films were then finally edited in Paris with their young Afghan directors.

The post production of the series (grading, subtitling) was achieved in October.
The series was broadcast in May by our coproducer Ciné Cinéma.
The films have already be screened in three major international film festivals : The Leipzig DOK (end October), Festival des Trois Continents in Nantes (end of November) and last but not least, the Cannes Festival (Pavillon les cultures du monde) in May 2009.

The production of “Children of Kabul“ has been a fruitful experience that led us to define the following

PROGRAM FOR 2009 :
Our group of young filmmakers needs to expand, and new people should join. We are holding another first level workshop in spring 2009 for ten new participants. The workshop has started on the 2nd of may at the Foundation for Culture and Civil Society, our latest partner. The senior students are taking part as tutors of their younger colleagues.

Our young filmmakers have hardly ever been exposed to “film culture“. They need to see films. We will take part in the project of reviving the weekly screenings organised by the French Cultural Centre (CCF) with the Goethe-Institut at CCF.

They need to continue learning how to research, elaborate and write a documentary film project. They also need to become more autonomous. We will continue helping them, but only if they come up with personal projects.

The workshop needs to find an autonomous, independent, permanent basis to host it’s activities. Finding that basis will be one of 2009’s challenges

If we manage to achieve this in 2009, we will be close to what our goal was when we started, creating an autonomous documentary film centre, able to produce and stand as the core of an Afghan “documentary scene“. We will continue helping the group in 2010 as closely as we have been doing so far, and start gradually retreating from 2011, without of course loosing contact.

PROGRAM OF THE 2009 FIRST LEVEL WORKSHOP

The workshop lasts 12 weeks

During the 12 weeks of the workshop each participant shoots a short (around 20 minutes) documentary film.
The first 4 weeks of the workshop are dedicated to learning how to use the equipment, seeing and discussing classic documentary films, shooting exercises, researching and discussing each students’ film project.
For the 5 next weeks, the students are shooting their films on the field. Each student directs his film on camera and is helped by other students on sound. The rushes are seen and criticized by the staff of the workshop with the other students.
The 3 last weeks are dedicated to the editing of the films. Each participant edits for seven days with a professional editor.
The last day of the workshop the films are screened to a large audience.

Festivals and broadcasting of the films

2006 Workshop

All the films were screened several times at the French Cultural Centre of Kabul.

“My Kabul“ by Waheed Nazir

Radio Television Afghanistan (2007); 25th Festival Cinéma d'Alès "Itinérances" France (March 2007) ; 2nd International Documentary and Short Film Festival Kabul (May 2007) ; FIKE, International Short Film Festival of Evora, Portugal (Sept 2007) ; "Champ contre champs" Lassalle France (May 2007), Iran International Documentary Film Festival, section Two neighbours, Irak and Afghanistan (Oct 2007) ; Rotterdam International Film Festival (Jan 2008); Festival International Cinémas d'Asie de Vesoul France (Feb 2008); Festival International du Film de Fribourg Switzerland (March 2008); National Art Gallery Washington USA (July 2008); San Giò Festival, Verona, Italy (July 2008) ; International Documentary Film Festival, Doclisboa, Portugal (Oct 2008) ; Leipzig DOK, (Oct 2008). Films d’autres part, Lausanne Switzerland (Oct 2008) ; Festival des 3 Continents, Nantes (Dec 2008).

Special mention of the jury at the International Short Film Festival of Evora, Portugal, Best documentary editing at the 2nd International Documentary and Short Film Festival Kabul

“Dream of light“ by Ebrahim Bamiani

Radio Television Afghanistan (2007); 25e Festival Cinéma d'Alès "Itinérances" " France (March 2007) ; "Champs contre champs" à Lassalle, Iran International Documentary Film Festival, section Two neighbours, Irak and Afghanistan (Oct 2007) ; Festival International du Film de Fribourg Switzerland (March 2008); Festival International du court-métrage de Téhéran (Nov 2008) ; Leipzig DOK, (Oct 2008) ; Films d’autres part, Lausanne Switzerland (Oct 2008) ; Semaine du film documentaire de Fès (Morocco) (Dec 2008)

“Laila“ by Batol Rezeai Muradi

Radio Television Afghanistan (2007); 24ème Festival d'Alès "Itinérances" (March 2007) ; Iran International Documentary film Festival (Oct 2007) ; Festival International du Film de Fribourg Switzerland (March 2008) ; Split film festival, Croatia (Sept. 2008) ; Films d’autres part, Lausanne Switzerland (Oct 2008)
Special prize of the jury at the Split Film Festival, Croatia

“A day in the life of Rahela“ by Del Afroz Zeerak

Radio Television Afghanistan (2007) ; 2nd International Documentary and Short Film Festival Kabul (May 2007); Leipzig DOK, (Oct. 2008).
Best documentary director award, at the 2nd International Documentary and Short Film Festival Kabul

“Back to Ghawas“ by Sediqa Rezaei

Radio Television Afghanistan (2007); Festival International de Films de Fribourg Switzerland (March 2008) ; San Giò Festival, Verona, Italy (July 2008) ; Films d’autres part, Lausanne (Oct 2008)

“Issa the wrestler“ by Reza Hosseini Yemak

Radio Television Afghanistan (2007); Iran International Documentary Film Festival, section Two neighbours, Irak and Afghanistan (Oct. 2007)

“Lima“ by Mohammad Mehdi Zafari

Radio Television Afghanistan (2007); 2nd International Documentary and Short Film Festival Kabul (May 2007) European Inter University centre for Human Rights and Democratization Venice Italy (summer 2007) ; Berlinale Talent Campus Berlin (Dec 2007)

“The way of Taekwando “ by Nazifa Zakizada

Radio Television Afghanistan; “Splice in program“ at the “24th Kassel Documentary Film & Video Festival“ (Nov. 2007).

“Patcha Khan“ by Taj Mohammad Bakhtari
Radio Television Afghanistan (2007).

“The forsaken“ by Saïd Sulaiman Sanjar Azizi
Radio Television Afghanistan (2007).
Children of Kabul 2008

“Bulbul the city bird“ by Reza Hosseini Yemak,
Leipzig DOK, (October 2008). Festival des Trois Continents, Nantes (November 2008), Cinema encounters of Dignes les bains (April 2009), Pavillon les Cinémas du Monde, Cannes Festival (May 2009).

“Sahar the young carpet maker“ by Taj Mohammad Bakhtari,
Leipzig DOK, (October 2008). Festival des Trois Continents, Nantes (November 2008), Cinema encounters of Dignes les bains (April 2009), Pavillon les Cinémas du Monde, Cannes Festival (May 2009).

“Bricks and dreams“ by Sediqa Rezaei,
Festival des Trois Continents, Nantes (November 2008), Cinema encounters of Dignes les bains (April 2009), Pav. les Ciné du Monde Cannes Festival (May 2009).

“Once upon a time Noor Jehan“ by Ali Hazara,
Festival des Trois Continents, Nantes (November 2008), Cinema encounters of Dignes les bains (April 2009), Pav. les Ciné du Monde Cannes Festival (May 2009).

“The young musicians of Kharabat“ by Waheed Nazir,
Festival des Trois Continents, Nantes (November 2008), Cinema encounters of Dignes les bains (April 2009), Pav. les Ciné du Monde Cannes Festival (May 2009).

The complete series will be broadcast in May by Cine Cinema within a special Afghan week.Ateliers Varan around the world

Ateliers Varan’s hands on documentary filmmaking course encourages students to take a fresh look at the world. Neither a school in the classical nor academic sense, Ateliers Varan’s teaching methods lay strong emphasis on learning through practice.
Students focus on making a full-scale film. Free from audiovisual market constraints, participants are encouraged to dive into the adventure of cinematography. Young filmmakers work their way towards self-expression.
As students move through the different stages of their film, they learn about cinema language, camera handling, sound recording, directing and editing.
Directing your own documentary film speeds up the learning process .

Ateliers Varan, an internationally recognised French film school acts as a consultant to UNESCO and collaborates regularly with the Communication Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Nonprofit association and non-governmental organization, it is a member of CILECT (the association of the world’s major film and television schools).

Varan has set up workshops in various countries around the world. At the end of the filmmaking course, Ateliers Varan stays on for the time necessary to help the group of young filmmakers run the workshop autonomously, thanks to the equipment left in place.

Training courses can be organised at a country’s request, in liaison with representative organisations, such as universities, TV networks, unions, film schools and cultural organisations... 25 years ago, Ateliers Varan chose to give the opportunity of mastering audiovisual tools to those who didn’t have access to them. Today, the use of digital video is available almost everywhere. However, the standardised programmes presented by the media leave little room for an author’s vision and the documentary genre is often absent from everyday audiovisual programmes.

.Since it’s creation, Ateliers Varan, has set up workshops on every continent in over twenty countries :

Afghanistan, Algeria, Bolivia, Brasil, Cambodia, Columbia, Kenya, Laos, Mauritius, Mexico, Morocco, New Caledonia, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, Philipines, Rumania, Serbia-Montenegro, South Africa, South Caucase, Venezuela, Vietnam

The 2009 workshop participants at the Foundation for Culture and Civil Society

Contacts in Kabul : Séverin Blanchet, severin.blanchet@wanadoo.fr +93 797 33 12 17
Mehdi Zafari, mehdi_zafari2002@yahoo.com +93 799 42 79 18

Life, fear, pain, rain and liberation!

2009-06-03T01:27:00.000-07:00

To read the full story go to Clear & Sharp Discussions of Daily Life

With a short film in Milan?!

2009-05-04T05:36:00.000-07:00

The first thing to do to make a film is to find people who finance to realize it when the script is ready and then the practical production begins.
Usually the short films are not financed for not having revenue, and then they have to be made independently whether with a very low budget or with almost no budget which needs a huge amount of passion and scarification.

However, Amin Wahidi the Afghan refugee filmmaker in Italy is getting prepared for a short film in Milan.

For a short film of almost no budget, the exiled director is in the middle of finding people to produce it and or putting to gather some professionals as a volunteer crew so that his short independent film could be realized.

What is going to be depicted in this short?
This short will be shot in Milan.
The late world economical crisis and its effects on the lives of people around the world, make the main theme, while this time again, Amin Wahidi is going to embrace the children.
In his short film, he wants to see the outer world through the eyes of innocent children who have nothing to do with the crisis but are somehow being affected by it.

A synopsis is not revealed though but the protagonists are a journalist father and his two young children, who play music along with pigeons on the roads of Milan during the economy crisis.

It is really unpredictable that all things will go on alright to realize this short film, but we hope to overcome problems and finally take it on the screens.

Deedenow Cinema Production ® Afghanistan

Follow Voice of Criticism for the socio- political updates in Afghanistan

Visit Deedenow Cinema for the updates on Afghan Arts and Cinema

Follow KabulPress for the latest analysis and reports about Afghanistan and the region

Happy New Year 1388 to all Afghans around the world!

2009-03-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

Nowroz means a new day
Swallows are seen again in the sky these days flying happily while the earth changes its color, snows are melting, water is increasing and blooms blossom in the trees, you feel hot if you wear warm clothes and many more changes are seen everywhere even the mood of humans are changed as well; they are all the characteristics of the nature that always repeat in the same time of the year as the signs of the some changes, something new that is when someone is knocking all the doors and when you open your door to see who it is, there is a surprise; Wow! Spring is coming! And you say “Welcome!” to it happily.
Oh, forgot to say, and if you are in Mazar e Sharif in north Afghanistan, you find tulips every where in the deserts, that is another characteristic too.

You reap what you sowed!
You welcome spring while indeed it is the beginning after an end, and now you are given a period of time in fact another period of time to think, to plan and plant knowing that you reap what you sowed. If you plant poppy you will not reap wheat or if you move as slowly as a turtle you will not get to your destination as quickly as a rabbit, so it totally in your hand, it is you to decide what to do and how.

To touch the God’s place, leave a nice trace behind
Time come and pass, people come and go, but still the system of the universe is always the same, on track, controlled, on going and very accurate and precise as usual, as always, it is only us who discover a bit it of time to time as it goes on and boast on ourselves for what we have found out newly and call it the power of our science and technology. When we see the accuracy and grandeur of the universe, how small we are, how nothing we are in comparison with it we find out, but sometimes we can be big, we can be even great and grand when we change “I” into “We” in all what we do and then when we leave a nice trace behind, a good trace that is praised by all men of mind and sense, this way we touch the place of God who is the creator of the whole universe, so why shouldn’t we be big, great and grand then, when it is possible?!

Happy New Year to all Afghans around the world!

Viva Afghanistan!

Read the New Year message of last year

Follow Voice of Criticism for the socio- political updates in Afghanistan

Visit Deedenow Cinema for the updates on Afghan Arts and Cinema

Follow KabulPress for the latest analysis and reports about Afghanistan and the region

Good news!

2009-03-21T07:35:00.000-07:00

Long waiting is over!
Venice a city on water and the home town of Marco Polo, is going to be cuddled by the melody of the Afghan music sounds to let every one feel the eastern world as near as inside their homes.

The city of Shakespeare’s plays is going to host Afghan artists to play and sing for them to let them feel the coming of spring and greenery and to make them touch the nature.

The surprise in this occasion is presence of Dawood Sarkhosh; the singer of hope, the singer of love, the singer of life and the singer of liberty who sings from the depth of his heart and enlivens millions of Afghans with his harmonious voice and unique lyrics.

While Sarkhosh sings, he knocks the doors of hearts, enters into the hearts, inspires every one and then let them think, let them dream and let them hope.

When he plays masterly pieces, with his Danboora* as a travel guide he takes every one to a journey of the central highlands of Afghanistan, to the land of the Giant Buddha Statue and let every one enjoy their presence in Hazarajaat with the sound of his music. That is what Dawood Sarkhosh is famous for.

All Afghans from different corners of Italy are getting together on 22 of March in this lively occasion to celebrate their New Year and to say that they want peace, security and justice in their country.

In addition to this concert, the sky of Venice is going to host many Afghan kites flown by the Afghans to share their happiness with the Italian society.

Through this occasion, the Afghans away from home, while hoping to fly these kites in the sky of their homeland one day, would thank the Italian society for hosting them in their difficult time, while the presence of the Italians in this occasion could mean that; as a part of the international community they are with the Afghans. Join us in this happiness if you can!

We provide you photo reportage of this occasion in the upcoming posts

Dawood Sarkhosh Homepage

Follow Voice of Criticism for the socio- political updates in Afghanistan

Visit Deedenow Cinema for the updates on Afghan Arts and Cinema

Follow KabulPress for the latest analysis and reports about Afghanistan and the region

The Community of the Afghan Artists in Italy is born

2009-03-21T07:30:00.000-07:00

Along with spring this year, the community of the Afghan Artists in Italy has announced its presence.

It is the second group of the Afghans who make such an association while the first one is the Cultural and Social Association of the Afghans in Italy that is based in Rome.

This new born community of the Afghan Artists as announced in their plans and activities, will be active in making films, documentaries, video reportages, holding conferences and seminars about Afghanistan and representing the Afghan Arts and Culture primarily in Italy and then in Europe level.

Of their first initiatives, is conducting an Afghan Cultural Festival of Flying Kite and the concert of Dawood Sarkhosh in Venice which both take place in the Afghan New Year occasion 21- 22 March 2009.

This concert is supported by municipality of Venice and the Cultural and Social Association of the Afghans in Italy.

The next projects the Arts Community has are two film projects that are now in preproduction stage.

The members of the Artists Community are the, writers, filmmakers, producers, journalists and television programmers who fled Afghanistan for the serious risks they faced because of their cultural - artistic activities and exercise of freedom of speech in their war torn homeland.

We wish them success in their future activities of working for prosperity of Afghanistan.

We provide you with more updates on the activity of Afghan Artists Community in Italy in the upcoming posts. Hope to hear more about it soon

The Community of Afghan Artits in Italy

Follow Voice of Criticism for the socio- political updates in Afghanistan

Visit Deedenow Cinema for the updates on Afghan Arts and Cinema

Follow KabulPress for the latest analysis and reports about Afghanistan and the region

ATELIER VARAN KABUL A DOCUMENTARY MAKING TRAINING WORKSHOP

2009-01-19T06:52:00.000-08:00

ATELIER VARAN KABUL
A FIRST LEVEL WORKSHOP IN SPRING 2009
For ten participants

CALL FOR CANDIDATES
From July the 29th to October the 12th 2006, a first training workshop with
Ateliers Varan took place at the faculty of fine arts of the Kabul University.
Ten students, of which four women from various groups of the Afghan society
took part in the experience.
The workshop was a success. Ten short documentaries were shot by the ten
first participants, depicting with an insight view today’s realities of a
reconstructing country. All the films were broadcast by Radio Television
Afghanistan in 2007. They had and still have an incredible career in
international film festivals.

The equipment – cameras, editing and projection facilities - have remained in
Kabul at the Goethe-Institut for the students to use.
In 2007 we started a second level workshop around the writing, the production
and shooting of a documentary serial “Children of Kabul“. The workshop
featured an editing option. Eight people (mostly from the 2006 workshop) took
part, five as directors and three as editors.
The project continued in 2008 with the last shootings, a first editing session
and the screening of the films in Kabul.
The films were then finally edited in Paris by their young Afghan directors.
The films have already be screened in two major international film festivals :
The Leipzig DOK (end of October2008) and the Festival des Trois Continents in
Nantes (end of November 2008).
The production of “Children of Kabul“ has been a fruitful experience that led us
to define the following program for 2009 :
- Our group of young filmmakers needs to expand, and new people
should join. We plan to hold a new FIRST LEVEL WORKSHOP IN
SPRING 2009 for ten new participants. Some of our senior students
will take part as tutors of their younger colleagues.

- CANDIDATES:
We are looking for ten highly motivated students, both male and female.
No particular experience in filmmaking is required, only a strong motivation to
make documentary films, a great openness of mind and a great curiosity.
The candidates will be selected from a list of people proposed by various
actors of the media scene or institutions like cultural centres, local production
companies interested in the field, NGOs etc…
Candidates that are not introduced will not be seen.
Candidates will be selected by the staff of the workshop.
The selection will take place during the first week of February 2009.
We will select a minimum of 4 women. We are looking for a group that would be
representative of the cultural and social diversity of the country.

- CONDITIONS :
The workshop lasts 12 weeks and is a full time activity. The participants agree
that they will not pursue any other activity during this time.
No scholarship will be charged.
An allowance of 20 $ per week will be granted to each participant. Their
transportation costs, catering costs etc will all be at their own charge. Only
some expenses related to the shootings will be refunded if agreed upon in
advance.
We strongly recommend to the participants that have a job in the field of media
to negotiate with their staff to have at least part of their salary maintained.
Others should find sponsors.

- WORKSHOP PROGRAM :
During the 12 weeks of the workshop each participant shoots a short (around
20 minutes) documentary film.
The first 4 weeks of the workshop are dedicated to learning how to use the
equipment, seeing and discussing classic documentary films, shooting
exercises, researching and discussing each students’ film project.
For the 5 next weeks, the students are shooting their films on the field. Each
student directs his film on camera and is helped by other students on sound.
The rushes are seen and criticized by the staff of the workshop with the other
students.
The 3 last weeks are dedicated to the editing of the films. Each participant edits
for seven days with a professional editor.
The last day of the workshop the films are screened for a large audience.

IF YOU THINK OF ANYONE WHO WOULD BE ELEGIBLE TO TAKE PART IN
THIS WORKSHOP AND WILLING TO RESPECT OUR CONDITIONS, PLEASE
LET US KNOW : manon.blanfumet@ateliersvaran.com

Atelier Varan Kabul is supported by the Goethe-Institut, CCF, the French
Embassy, Arte International, and has partnerships with Afghan Film, RTA andThe Faculty of fine Arts of the Kabul University

A post conflict country

2009-01-09T03:05:00.000-08:00

A caricature sent by Bashir Bakhtiari Afghan graphic designer, caricaturist and filmmaker

One Year After the Death of Sayed Mustafa Kazimi Unanswered Questions

2009-01-09T02:45:00.000-08:00

Click Here to read the full story in KabulPress

Afghan Shiites Embrace New Acceptance

2009-01-09T02:32:00.000-08:00

Click here to read the full story in Washington Post

My world is totally white today!

2009-01-08T09:39:00.000-08:00

Click Here to read the full story in Clear&Sharp Discussions of Daily life

A New Year hope by a Pashtoon Taliban; "a suicide attack!"

2009-01-04T04:53:00.001-08:00

A caricature sent by Bashir Bakhtiari Afghan graphic designer, caricaturist and filmmaker

Pashtoon Taliban targeting Kabul!

2009-01-04T04:50:00.000-08:00

A graphic work sent by Bashir Bakhtiari Afghan graphic designer, caricaturist and filmmaker

Two sides of a coin?

2008-12-29T08:15:00.000-08:00

CLICK HERE to read the full article / commentary in Clear & Sharp Discussions

Escaping from war and hunger, dying under truck tires in Italy!

2008-12-29T07:55:00.000-08:00

Photo by Batoor

CLICK HERE to read the full article /commentary in Voice of Criticism

“Safed Sang” a new Afghan feature film in production

2008-12-28T05:13:00.000-08:00

In the year 1377 A.H (1998) the Iranian military forces massacred more than six hundred and sixty Afghan illegal entrants in "Safed Sang Camp" (The White Stone Camp) where they were detained for deportation. These Afghan prisoners were detained there just for being Afghan and for entering in Iran illegally. Those days they protested against the responsible personnel of the detaining center for the very bad situation of the detaining center. The Iranian government hearing about this then sent military helicopters and volleyed them all except who could flee or hide somewhere and soon an asphalted road was built on their ensemble cemetery.
On that time some of the prisoners hid to survive and some could escape; out of them, "Dawood Azimi" is one, who is now playing a leading role in Safed Sang a new Afghan film that is in production in the north of Kabul.

"Dawood Wahab" is the producer for Safed Sang, "Zubair Farghand" is the director and "Homayoon Payez" is the main character. The production team has built a simulation of Safed Sang camp in the north of Kabul and all parts of the film is being filmed there. The 300,000 $ USD budget of the film is funded by an American organization. It is interesting that the main location of this film is very close to Bagram Airport, where the American military forces detain the Afghan prisoners who are suspect of affiliated to terrorists, in their military base.

The production team has made a lot of efforts to assimilate the same scenes as occurred in this tragic incident in 1998 about which many people do not know; an incident that is described to be very Hollywoody by the correspondent of Independent as he writes in the Volume of Nov 20th “A big story that could be changed into a great film”. The producer of the film has said to Independent; “We have assimilated the whole parts of this camp (Safed Sang Camp); the kinds of barbwire they used, the cement walls and all other details it had, we even covered the floors with artificial human excrements as the same situation this camp has had.”

In spite of allocation of a lot of budget on decoration and set designing, 35 mm cinematic equipments and enough lighting facilities and cranes, can we still expect an acceptable film by Zubair Farghand?
Zubair Farghand, although is an old figure in the Afghan Cinema but his achievements are not enough and comparable to the years he was present in the cinema, as so far has made some cheap action films but is he ready to direct a feature film is not for sure yet.
However, this film in addition to depicting the story of massacre of the Afghan refugees in Iran will tell another story as well. The story that may not be seen in the film, but we can feel instead, when we watch the film; the never told story of grieves of the Afghans who have lived in Iran.

This film on the other hand would undoubtedly be the first grand step for relating the stories of immigration and refuge. And what happens on the Afghan refugees in the Iranian illegal entrants camps is a part of a big tragedy which has millions of people as victims.
The racist government of Iran, promoting anti immigrant propagandas among the Iranian people, has benighted the lives of the Afghan refugees in this country. This film of course can not be a complete image of the thirty year immigration of the Afghans to Iran but at least could be a beginning of story telling of this issue; an issue that is a part of the contemporary history of the Afghans.

And the other side of the coin; although about four million Afghans live in Iran, and they make a part of the Iranian society in reality, but it rarely happened that an Iranian filmmaker would make a film about their hard lives in this country.
The most famous film about the Afghans in Iran is the praised and well - accredited film “Baran” by Majid Majedi which was an effort to portray a real part of lives of the Afghans in Iran but this film and only some others can not be effective against the rapid anti immigrants and anti Afghans propagandas of the Iranian media and press that is strictly controlled and directed by the government.

Most of the actors and extras in Safed Sang are the Afghan returnees who have been in Iran and can speak Persian with Iranian accent. "Dawood Azimi", who plays the role of an Iranian Police Officer, has said to Independent; “I have a good feeling that I am wearing an Iranian police uniform in this film, because with this I have the chance to show to the world how we have lived and how they oppressed on us, therefore I can play this role.”
In Safed Sang camp, Although the six hour massacre can be imagined as real Hollywood- like scene but in the film there are no victorious heroes as it finishes with a sad ending; Homayoon Payez the protagonist of the film dies at the end and there is no victor hero in Safed Sang, every one else is a victim, but the victor hero is in the Iranian military helicopter in the sky over the Safed Sang camp.

Reported by Ali Karimi in Doshanbeha

See The Independent also

Read more about Afghan Cinema below:

A chance for the emerging Afghan filmmakers!

An overview of the Afghan Cinema

What happened to “Opium War”?

Barmak appears once again

Lost Paradise or The Last Survivor?!

Made in Afghanistan films in Germany

The Drum of Democracy is played once again this year!

Cinema is idolatrous in this territory!

The images of the Taliban

An Afghan/Hazara's thoughts on "The Kite Runner"

A chance for the emerging Afghan filmmakers!

2008-12-24T08:32:00.000-08:00

FILM COMPETITION

“Freedom, My Way”

The Goethe Institute in Kabul and Hindukush Filmproduktion GbR Berlin-Kabul
are looking for documentary film ideas (15 min.) on the topic of freedom, the longing
for another life and the difficulties of making this a reality in Afghanistan.

The best 6 film ideas will be realized in 2009 and compiled to make a 90-min. cinema documentary film that will be shown at international festivals. You are free to select any genre or style, for example, portraits, self-portraits, experimental, staged or musical documentary films, risqué, sad, political or funny.

Your exposé should be no longer than one page and, if possible, written in English. Please remember to include your phone number and e-mail address and include your previous film work on a DVD.
Deadline: 15 January 2009
Please deliver your ideas to:

Goethe Institute Kabul, Mr. Ibrahim Hotak
Shahmahmood Street, Wazir Akbar Khan
Kabul, Afghanistan
Tel.: 0799-313922, program@kabul.goethe.org

If you have any questions, please contact:
Goethe Institute Kabul, Mr. Ibrahim Hotak
(see above address, phone no. and e-mail)
Hindukush Filmproduktion GbR
Jutta von Stieglitz-Yousufy & Haroon Yousufy
info@hindukushfilm.com, Tel.: +49-177-8482499
We look forward to your ideas!
Along the mentioned please contacts you can also contact Frozan Siddiqi vl@goethe.kabul.org

In the middle of secret codes and invisible laws!

2008-12-20T08:41:00.000-08:00

CLICK HERE to read the full article / commentary in Clear &Sharp Discussions

Christmas another birth for internal refinery!

2008-12-20T08:39:00.001-08:00

CLICK HERE to read the full article /commentary in Clear &Sharp Discussions

Policing Afghanistan

2008-12-07T05:58:00.000-08:00

CLICK HERE to read the full article /commentary in The NewYorker.com

Let's say NO more War!

2008-12-07T05:53:00.000-08:00

A graphic work sent by Bashir Bakhtiari Afghan graphic designer, caricaturist and filmmaker
email: bashir1379@yahoo.com

Even in Italy the mind of people is in their eyes!

2008-12-07T05:48:00.001-08:00

Photo by Casimo Filipini

CLICK HERE to read the full article / commentary in Clear &Sharp Discussions

Which Karzai to trust?!!

2008-12-06T08:22:00.000-08:00

A graphic work sent by Jafar Rezai Afghan writer and graphic designer, Canada
Email: jafarrezai3@yahoo.com
Blog: www.fromwest.blogfa.com

Karzai has already begun to violate the electoral law!

2008-12-03T07:23:00.000-08:00

Photo from Kabuldoll.org

CLICK HERE to read the full article commentary in Afghanistan Long Tongue Writers’ Page

The Life

2008-12-01T07:34:00.000-08:00

A graphic work sent by Bashir Bakhtiari Afghan graphic designer, caricaturist and filmmaker

The Hazaras abandon the ANA (Afghan National Army)

2008-12-01T07:12:00.000-08:00

CLICK HERE to read the full article / commentary in Afghanistan Long Tongue Writers’ Page

More details about Parwez Kambakhsh

2008-11-30T05:11:00.000-08:00

Click Here to read more about Parwez Kambakhsh, the Afghan Journalist accused for blasphemy, imprisoned for 20 years by a court in Kabul Afghanistan.

The essence of the Taliban

2008-11-26T06:57:00.000-08:00

A caricature sent by Bashir Bakhtiari Afghan caricaturist, graphic designer and filmmaker

Possibility of acceleration in diverge of the Afghan Government

2008-11-26T06:54:00.000-08:00

Enter Afghanistan Long Tongue Writers’ Page to read the full article/commentary by CLICKING HERE

The eight most threatened journalists in Afghanistan

2008-11-25T05:03:00.001-08:00

Enter Afghanistan Long Tongue Writers’ Page to read the full article/commentary by CLICKING HERE

Looking for a job?!

2008-11-25T04:43:00.000-08:00

Less job opportunities after the world - economy crisis

A caricature sent by Bashir Bakhtiari Afghan graphic designer, caricaturist and filmmaker

YOU SNOWY! A traditional snow trick in Afghanistan

2008-11-25T04:38:00.000-08:00

Enter Clear &Sharp Discussions to read the full article/commentary by CLICKING HERE

Afghanistan towards La Biennale di Venezia

2008-11-24T06:09:00.000-08:00

Lately a group of the Afghan Artists residing in Italy has come together in Venice with some Italian art activists to evaluate the possibilities of presence of Afghanistan in the International Biannual Contemporary Arts Festival of La Biennale di Venezia for the year 2009.

It would be the second time in the history of La Biennale di Venezia since its establishment in between 1895 -1907 that Afghanistan is going to represent traces, while the first time and only for once in 2005 Afghanistan had a presence in this festival with Afghan Artists in Europe and America. But this time, four years after first representation, the working group is making efforts to establish a permanent pavilion for Afghanistan in the La Biennale that would expose Afghanistan’s unaccustomed art and culture not only to the Italians but to a variety of nations who have permanent representation there every two years.

The official committee of La Biennale in the Giardini di Venezia where this biannual festival is held does the formal protocols with the ministries of culture or its equivalent structure of the countries and based on its agreements provides the place for the pavilions while the logistical supports and the primary materials for the construction of the pavilion, transportation of arts traces etc all have to be provided by the countries representing their arts.

The talks in this regard have begun these days and the administrative works are getting done in the primary levels, while there are a lot of challenges and problems ahead of this project.

To be optimistic this would be an important happening that would have a contemporary image of Afghanistan to the world through the art works of the Afghan Artists but still there are doubts if the government of Afghanistan is going to support this project seriously.

The first challenge would be the lack of capacity and intelligence in the Minister of Information and Culture to understand the value and importance of this project as a part of his responsibility.

While the Ministry of Information and Culture is a government structure for promoting and supporting cultural - artistic activities, unfortunately the minister is not an artist but has proved to be a fundamentalist Mullah.

With a strict religious background and obstinate behavior, Karim Khoram, promotes fundamentalism in the country instead of supporting the arts and culture projects; opposing the reopening of a cinema in Herat, banning on Indian soap operas on Afghan television channels, rejecting the Bamyan Buddha Statue reconstruction project, expelling media workers for using their mother tongue in their reports etc are the clear examples of his fundamentalist attempts.

Considering that the Afghan governmental budget is still dependent on the foreign aids, the project seem to face financial resources which needs other solutions such as referring to the private sectors as the partners after the formal and administrative protocols are finalized. That could be a solution.

La Biennale Internazionle di Venezia, held in Giardini di Venezia every two years, is a ground for artistic- cultural appearance of different nations ……

Aakhund (semi literated religious scholar)

2008-11-24T05:21:00.000-08:00

A caricature by Bashir Bakhtiari, Afghan caricaturist, graphic designer and filmmaker

Will Bashardost be an Obama for Afghanistan?!!

2008-11-24T05:20:00.000-08:00

Enter Afghanistan Long Tongue Writers’ Page to read the full article/commentary by CLICKING HERE

Let’s know and introduce the traitors

2008-11-21T08:08:00.000-08:00

Enter Afghanistan Long Tongue Writers’ Page to read the full article/commentary by CLICKING HERE

Afghanistan LongTongue on the way

2008-11-21T07:20:00.000-08:00

Voice of Criticism
Another blog to reflect the Afghan intellectuals’ writings in English

Now my next blog is ready to reflect the writings, opinions and discussions of the accredited Afghan writers, researchers and intellectuals in English for the people of world interested in and concerned about Afghanistan.

In this page we reflect the writings and criticisms of the Afghan as well as foreigner intellectuals, writers and bloggers on issues such as Politics - Governance - Civil Society - Human Rights & Freedom of Expression in Afghanistan.

The main goal of this blog is to create a space for dialogue and sharing writings, opinions and criticisms for a positive purpose and that is bringing changes and making better the functioning of the government body, the rule of law and to promote the civil society in the country.

As we work for a better Afghanistan, we believe that the positive criticism is always a maker and thus we share with you in this page mainly the writings and opinions of the writers, bloggers and researchers who are known to be Afghanistan Long Tongue Writers* in this way every one can judge the progress of process of young democracy in war effected Afghanistan.

Following the motto, “We are also to bring changes in our country”, and by the help of the writers and intellectuals through this blog we are to see how we can bring changes in the strategy of the International Community in the tiresome and long lasting war in Afghanistan by lobbying the decision makers through providing pure and real information and consultations through real eyes based on the existing realities of the country.

While inviting and welcoming the Afghan writers, researchers and intellectuals for sending their writings for translation and posting in this blog, we would accept and appreciate writings about Afghanistan in English by the foreign writers and researchers who believe in changes in Afghanistan.

Give us hands of support and be the first ones to send your Dari writings to be translated in a standard quality or send your original English writings to us to be posted in this blog.

* Long Tongue (zaban daraz in Dari) is a Dari Persian phrase for the person who has a critical language.

CLICK HERE to enter Afghanistan Long Tongue Writers’ Page

Will Karim Khoram support this project?!

2008-11-20T08:42:00.000-08:00

Enter Afghanistan Long Tongue Writers’ Page to read the full article/commentary by CLICKING HERE

Hopeful for a better tomorrow

2008-11-20T08:07:00.000-08:00

A kid with a book under a lantern in the dark

There could be only one thing for this little girl that gives her energy and enthusiasm to work and study hard; that is the hope for a better tomorrow.

Perhaps she has understood that she has to be educated if her dreams has to be realized.
May be her father or forefathers have told her that she has get education to be able to lighten her dark nights which is because of unjust treatment the officials of her time.

Or may be, her eyes are full of hopes because she sees something with here childish sincere innocence that we are not able to see, thus she grows hopes and optimism in her mind and heart that tomorrow definitely would be a better day therefore she doesn’t sleep until late in the dark under a lantern light and study and work hard.
That is what we have to learn from her.

An image from new Afghanistan
The image you see above is taken by a young Afghan photographer Reza Sahel.
This image is in competition for the final round of an international photo contest with 99 other photos among 3000 selected ones from all over the world.

Within the photo
Seeing effort of the little Afghan kid, working hard studying in a dark night, while hoping to begin a better morning in the next day, hopes blossom in the hearts for a better future with a better country.

The photographer
By his photo, while praising the efforts, enthusiasm and hopes of the new generation for a better and brighter tomorrow the photographer, puts in light the discrimination and unequal treatments administered by the senior officials of the Afghan government with the citizens of the country especially in the central highlands of Afghanistan where the Hazaras live and least amount of reconstruction has taken place in the recent years since 2002.

Click here if you want to vote for a praising photo from recent Afghanistan in an international contest.

To read more about the Photographer click here
Third Eye Photojournalism Center
Fighting Against illiteracy in Afghanistan

Looking for a better world!

2008-11-10T06:31:00.000-08:00

Photo by Reza Karimi

The difference between a human and a …

“KHODAWANDA, TU MEDANI KE INSAN BODAN O MANDAN DAR EEN DOYA CHE DESHWAR AST,

CHE ZAJRI MEKASHAD AANKAS KE INSAN AST O AZ EHSAAS SARSHAR AST.”

Translation
“Oh God, you know how hard it is to be and remain human being,
How difficult is the world for human full of senses, emotions and feelings”

Last night was one of those and I didn’t or couldn’t go sleep again until too late in the morning just about before the sunrise. I don’t know whether I name it insomnia or something else.
However, I began thinking about here there as if I was looking for something, a better world for example after I read a Dari Poem that was once sent as a comment to one of my Dari writings in Kabul Press website a few months ago.
I don’t exactly remember the name of the poet but the title of the poem was “one night in the place of God” or “If I were God for one night” and it was talking about the existing unjust things in this world and the poet proposed the betterment and changes and ideal solutions for the better condition of living beings through his poem.
I wish I could translate it in English and put it here for you to read and enjoy it.

There are many things in the world to think about and to be concerned about that is how when you can’t sleep at night, you begin traveling around the globe with your imaginations, you suffer a lot when there are many irritating items in your society and in the places where your mind reaches and then you have to enter into an ideal world of yourself, you create the whole system of the world the way you think is right and then, dark in the morning you go sleep with your imaginations. Without having changed anything, later after the sunrise you wake up and see everything is still the same but instead you have headache and nothing has changed at all.

Actually belonging to and growing in a society full of tyranny, violence, social misbehaviors, unjust treatments, corruption, continuous poverty and ignorance automatically you change into a person always thinking about your role in this middle and what you could do for others is your everlasting mental conflict.

These harsh things are the existing realities in the society. The cruelty and tyranny the humans do on the other human beings; the people dying of hanger, the people being forced to leave their homes, the women being raped, the children being misused, the people being kidnapped, the officials being corrupted, the ignorance being spread, the refugees far off their land being misused and many more things on your own land and in other corners of the world where you can imagine of.

Sometimes, thinking about the many responsibilities you have as a human being in the society you belong to and in a bigger range in the world where you live and then you see you can not do anything to help to find a solution at least for a little part of these problems, you wish you were out of such world.

However, although you know that in order to coup with the harshness of the world, it is not the right choice to escape and leave the ground but stand and fight against them otherwise there wouldn’t be any difference between an intelligent human and an animal like a cow, but still you say to yourself, how long more you wouldn’t be able to do something for certain reasons?!

In spite of the strength the humans have but they are not as hard as rocks;
Of course time to time they are happy, they are sad, they are emotional, they are cold- blooded, they are enthusiastic, and they are exhausted but sometimes they are tenderer than flowers and are not able to tolerate much harshness they face in their lives.

What all come here are not the signs of pessimism or the empty part of the bottle but they are the realities in the practical life although if sometimes people pretend to be happy or optimistic about it.

Or a solution; change your vision and the way of living
Wow, in this new way of living, you are happier and more comfortable. When every where is green, that is all for you. Then there is nothing to think about or to be worried about. Why you have to think about something? Why you have to suffer about the wrong things that exist in the world? You eat. You sleep, that are the two most important things in the world for you and you enjoy your life. What else do you want?
So this way, never things come to your mind that hurt you, you do not have any imaginations or foreseeing about what happens in the world or what you have to do for it, because you don’t care for it anymore. Because in this way of living the whole your world is not bigger than a grazing field and your furthest imagination does not go beyond imagining that every where is green for you, which gives you a sense of satisfactory. That is all.
There are not any responsibilities from your surroundings or your society on your shoulders anymore because; first you do not have a mind to think about it and feel responsibility, then you are not in your hand and then you do not live in a society, you live in cattle. There, the most important duty you have is what you are created for; eat grass and produce milk, or to be killed for the meat. That is how the life is for a cow.
And sometimes human beings are forced to live the same way or even worse but then only God can save them from that situation!

Italy still in the racial discrimination

2008-11-09T04:41:00.000-08:00

a commentary by Basir Ahang

Independent Afghan Journalist in Italy
Translated by Amin Wahidi

Mussolini Jr. can not tolerate the presence of a black leader in the While House

Silvio Berlusconi the Italian prime minister when attending in a press conference during his official visit to Moscow has attacked the personality of Barack Obama the elected president of the United States of America for being of black skin.

Regarding Obama, he said,” the new elected president of America is a young, handsome and bronze (tanned skin) president”.
Berlusconi who was supporting the republican candidate John McCain during his electoral campaign doesn’t think that Obama deserve the White House because of his complexion and racial background.

What Berlusconi has lately stated, shows his fanaticism prejudice with the people of black skin.
Although considering the history of Italy as the cradle of fascism, it is something sample and predictable to hear a discriminative statement from a senior Italian official but in the present time, it annihilate the claims of the Italian government for fighting against fascism and racism and this country will again be in the list of fascist countries in the world.
Even in the Italian constitution any kind of movements that distinguish ethnicities and complexions are considered discriminative attempts and are lead to legal prosecutions.
Soon after this news, most of the human rights organizations and the leftist parties in Italy objected to the discriminative statement of the prime minister and condemned it as a fascist statement.

Walter Veltroni, the leader of PD the main opposition party in Italy in a press conference has evaluated it as a non-diplomatic and discriminative statement which could offend the friendship of Italy and the United States of America.
Condemning this statement, Veltroni has asked Berlusconi apologize Obama for what he has stated in his Friday conference in Moscow. He added that Berlusconi’s statement is definitely not the Italian people’s comment on the new elected president of the United States but is his own irresponsible comment.

On the other hand, the Italian journalists in the American have tried to ask Obama’s opinion on this statement of the Italian Prime Minister but they were told that Obama is not interested to talk on it.

It is to say that after the end of the Word War Two and defeat of Mussolini the Italian fascist leader, this period was recognized as an ignominious time in the political history of Italy and thereafter many efforts have been made to eliminate the fascism in this country.
But nowadays after almost 65 years from then, not only fascism and discrimination is not eliminated in Italy but is still alive in this country and even senior government officials are following and applying it.

So we can say it is no more than empty acclaim when some of the western countries pretend to be defending the human rights, equality and democracy when we see such actions.
Although the victory of Obama in this election was the breakage of a taboo in this country and gave hopes to millions of human beings who didn’t have the equal rights in this country for years and years and were treated with as slaves and the second class citizens but on the other hand we still see that the presence of blacks are not yet accustomed and tolerable for some whites.
Although the harsh and abasing statement of the Italian prime minister has had vast objections after, but these objects are not trustable either; they are just political slogans too.
It is the time for all the liberal people in the world to stand against discrimination and prejudice and eliminate it from the world.
Here I am not to defend Obama but because I, my forefathers and other ethnic minority citizens of my country were all suffered fascism and discrimination for years and years and we can feel the catastrophe that fascism brings. And this prepares any liberal person to stand and fight against it as a Saadi the great Persian poet has said;

Human beings are members of a whole,
In creation of one essence and soul
If one member is afflicted with pain,
Other members uneasy will remain.

When impossible(s) become possible!

2008-11-07T06:21:00.000-08:00

Obama broke the taboos!
When the name of Barack Obama as an African – American senator was announced to be racing with Hillary Clinton for the presidency candidature from the democrats, it was not predicted that America would be ready to accept a black American in the highest leadership position in the country but what the result of this election showed was the vice versa; first it showed that the American democracy is reaching its highest level and then the people are ready for change and would vote for the person who they think has the merit regardless of race, color and complexion.

The result of the presidential election 2008 in November 4 in the USA shows that most of the Americans are hoping for a real change in the administration of their country as they have voted and elected the democrat candidate senator Barack Obama whose slogan was “WE CAN BELIEVE IN CHANGE”, as their new president.

The American people are hopeful to see changes in their lives, primarily to be able to coup with the lately economical crisis as well as to see their country gaining back the international strength and reputation that is believed to be decreasing in the late years especially after its involvement in occupation of Iraq.

A few months ago, there were some concerning issues such as; Iran nuclear program, war in Iraq and war in Afghanistan that were of main interests for the American people to know which of the presidential candidates have better and clearer programs to deal with. And then the latest economical crises in the USA became more important than other issues while at the same time the people knew that the two long lasting and costly wars (Afghanistan and Iraq) have partly affected the overall economy of the country; so the new leader would be the person with new and better plans; where need, would be serious and where need would have the flexibility.

Whether people of the world accept or not, it is the reality that as the first economical and military power in the world the United States of America plays a major role in the International arenas as parts of its international responsibility, thus any political change occurs in this country, it effects the other parts of the world considering its role and vast relationships with the other countries in today’s world and definitely have reactions behind, whether positive and negative.

This news of victory of Obama has had positive efficacy on the Stock Markets of America, Europe and Asia since then and the investors are more hopeful for a better future with this new elected president of the USA.

Most of the world’s leaders have shown positive reactions to the result of this election and they have hoped to have closer relationships with the United States of America with its new administration that will be presided by democrat Obama.

Undoubtedly Obama’s victory in this election has had a message for whole the world and that is; “complexion is no more important where merit matters” and it may be a great victory in history for the black Americans although many black Africans also have celebrated the victory of African – American presidential candidate in this historical election while in Kenya where Obama’s father is originally from, the people and the government celebrated his victory as a national feast.
As a matter of fact Obama’s victory is not a sample happening in the history of the United States when the champion of anti apartheid campaigns Nelson Mandela sends a congratulation message for Obama’s victory and encourages him for making every effort for the betterment of the world.

In the Middle East and Central Asia
Countries like Iraq and Afghanistan in which the USA is involved with direct military presence, the Persian Gulf Arab countries as America’s allies in the region and Iran as America’s main rival in the region would be expecting direct effects of this election on their relations and further economical - political intercourse with the USA.

Obama and Afghanistan
Some of my friends and many Afghan writers wrote about this historical election of the USA under different titles such as, “Realization of Martin Luther King’s dream”, “The White House and the Black Leader”, “A real change for the USA and for the world, “The acme of American democracy”, “Obama breaks the taboos in this history”
“Does the dream of Martin Luther King realize?” and each writer has written about one aspect of this election, but for me, the importance is how it effects the relation USA with Afghanistan and how would it do the better for Afghanistan.

His trip to Kabul Afghanistan as a part of his electoral campaign in July this year showed that the war in Afghanistan is a serious issue not only in Obama’s television debates but in his practical program plans as well. In this trip to Afghanistan Obama said that there is need of more seriousness by the world especially the USA in the mission in Afghanistan.
At the same time he remarked on the existence of corruption in the body of the Afghan government.

During the last few months coincidently with the US presidential election campaign process there have been many scandals against the Afghan president Hamid Karzai and his family members which were all denied by the president Karzai and his Brother Ahmad Wali Karzai.

The president Hamid Karzai is becoming an absolute ethnic dictator by confining the key positions in the administration among some corrupted people of his ethnic group that turns the country towards ethnic monopoly which has been one of the reasons for several years of civil war in the past, not being able to handle to corruption, re-empowering the fundamentalist elements directly and indirectly for his own personal purposes and confining the freedom of expression in the country by putting pressures on the media and press activists.

The presidents’ brothers do not have better work report either.
Ahmad Wali Karzai is the king of drug trafficking in the southern province of Kandahar which has been reported many times by prestigious international journals.

Thereafter any accusation and scandal by the international journals against Karzai and his family members were denied by him and was considered as the negative propaganda of the westerns against Karzai family.

President Karzai reasons that he was under attacks of the western media and press of especially the American journals after he has harshly criticized the repeated mistakenly air strikes of the Coalition Forces in different spots of the country that caused several civilian casualties and raised an anti American feeling among the people of south and east.

Since Obama has raised his concerns about the weakness of the Afghan administration under the leadership of Karzai, the presidential team in the Afghan Government under Karzai has not been optimistic for the victory of Obama while they have been looking forward for the victory of the republican McCain as they were graced by the republican administration of Bush on that time.

Hearing about the victory of Obama, while president Karzai has sent his congratulation message to Obama, he has asked for a change in the strategy of the USA in the counter terror campaign in Afghanistan.

However, by winning the election indeed the responsibilities began and we should note that there are still many challenges ahead of a new elected president and all things can not be solved overnight, because a president does not have a miracle.

The Afghans know that changing some strategies and replacing with alternatives would be useful and they hope Obama’s views and position regarding Afghanistan would not be just electoral slogans but would be implemented in practice hereafter.

What the Afghans expect from Obama and hope his new administration will do for Afghanistan as a friend country is to work on the infrastructures of the country rather that useless short term projects that were brought in within the passed six years.

The Afghans need education and eradication of illiteracy for long term betterment, so there is need of more investment on the education sector of the Afghans rather than more military US forces in the country which has been more costly but less useless to reduce the violence as seen in the last two years.

The Afghans are also tired of the administration that can not run the country properly and is drowning into corruption mirage day after day, so we need a change in our country as well.

Seeing the latest presidential election in the USA we come to believe that hereafter nothing exists as impossible(s), so we should also be expecting a change in our country as well because we also have two elections ahead for the next year.

Thanks to media, press and communication technology
Thanks to existence of mass media and communication technology that made the world very smaller than its real size with the various numbers of countries in it since the media and technology has made it a real global village. In this global village the relations among the countries are correlated and too complicated in economical and political aspects. As a result some important things occur in one corner it is directly reflected and heard in all over the world through the media and press using the communication technology.
If the media and press didn’t function well billions of people would not have been able to know about this great change as fast as they did.

Barmak appears once again

2008-11-02T05:58:00.000-08:00

Opium War an Afghn feature film wins the Citics Award of the 3rd Edition of Rome International Film Festival 2008 in Italy.

Opium War is Seddiq Barmak's second feature film after his long absence from 2002 when he made his first successful feature Osama that won many prestigious international awards.

The director was not appearing seriously on the ground of cinema after Osama in 2002, while during this gap he has been assisting some video projects of the young filmmakers and working as a consultant for private television channels in Kabul.

This time, his appearance with Opium War would once again represent the appearance of the Afghan Cinema on international screens.

While the viewers were expecting presence of this film in the festival earlier, it is the first serious appearance of this film in international festivals.

We congratulate The Director, Seddiq Barmak and the multi national crew of his film for Opium War, winning the Critics Award of Rome International Film Festvial 2008 .

It is heard that Opium War would be the Official Afghanistan submission to the 2009 Oscars in the Best Foreign Language Film category too.

Synopsis
In a far mountainous place after Taliban regime in Afghanistan, two American soldiers - one white officer and the other an African-American soldier - are lost after their helicopter had crashed. The soldier waits for a chance to run away from the officer while the wounded officer coerces the soldier with a pistol to carry him around. The two are in discords but they need each other to survive in the hostile land. When they cross the poppy field, the two soothe the pain from the hurt, fatigue and dread from the war by licking the substance of the poppy capsules. They soon notice armored personal carriers (APC) with a white flag in the middle of the poppy field, a symbol of Taliban. With nothing much in their hands, they begin attacking the vehicles. But what they find inside in the APCs is an Afghan family living inside…

Director

Siddiq Barmak was born in Afghanistan in 1962. He studied filmmaking in Moscow. He had written a few screenplays and had made a few short films before he shot in Afghanistan his first feature film Osama. He was the director of the Afghan Film organization from 1992 to 1996 and after the establishment of the new government he was once again chosen to manage it. All his works were banned during the time of the Taliban.

Film Info:

OPIUM WAR 2008 - 90' Color, 35 mm
Afghanistan, Japan, South Korea, France, 2008

Director Siddiq Barmak

Cast Peter Bussian (Don Johnson), Joe Suba (Joe Harris), Fawad Samani (Scorpion), Marina Golbahari (Mad Girl).
Screenplay Siddiq Barmak

Cinematography Georgi Dzulaiev

Editing Michele Hickson

Production Design Bakhteyar Qaharov

Music DalerNazarov

Producer Siddiq Barmak, Shohreh Golparian

Production Barmak Film

Co-producer Haruo Kawashima, Suh Youngjoo, Carole Scotta

Co-productionHappinet Pictures, Cineclick Asia, Haut et Court

DistributionInternational DistributionCineclick Asia – DaeLim apt 736-602, Sanbon-dong, Gunpo-si – 435-040 Kyunggyi Province (South Korea) – T. +82 10 4722 5120

See also

Seddiq Barmak's photos in Rome International Film Festival

What happened to “Opium War”?

What happend to "Opium War"? Dari

Rome International Film Festival

Opium War Wins the Critic Award from Rome Film Festival

Feeling like a bird in a cage

2008-10-30T05:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the situation of life forces the human beings to bend down against the harshness in the world and dance according the music that life plays for them.

In such a situation, you would be forced to do things that you may have never imagined of doing one day but in reality you face them and are now forced to do.
These things could be anything that is told to you or you are directed towards.

These frustrating things in front of you, all together puts you in a cage of unwillingness, in a jail of suffocation as if you are tied up with chains and your freedom is taken from you without knowing who and how has taken your freedom from you.
There is no a certain point to blame or to point out that has put you in a kind of jail and there is no one responsible for it.

Having done a repeated thing on an every day basis for a long time if so, you may already be a bit tired of such kind of life, then you would say to yourself; “What a life?! Today, tomorrow, every day, Eeh! The same repeated boring thing!”

It would be boring when you are not able to do what you want, what you are made for and for what you have energy, enthusiasm and ability. It is more intolerable especially when you know that you are able to do, and you are made for.

Even if you wake up in the mornings opening your eyes with the chatter of the singing birds around you, and open the windows of your room with a nice panorama in the greenery, but have to put down all your ambitions and desires aside, because you are not given chance to achieve them, instead do the same repeated boring thing that is imposed on you.

Like when a bird is in a cage, it doesn’t matter what the cage is made of; it could be metal or wooden, it could be of iron, wood or gold but it is still a cage and definitely a prison.

In the morning, you wake up and quickly get prepared for what you are forced to do, you get out of your cage for a defined time and then when it gets dark you go back to your cage and sleep, you do not have time to think, to explore, to see the world and to share your thoughts with the others and then finally no time for being yourself!

The days go and let the nights come after and then nights leave the ground for the next days and this way, you are lost within the friendship game of day and night which are playing hide and seek with each other and never reach to each other but in the middle your time is wasted.

Days go and nights come and nights pass and days come again, and then once when you really wake up, you feel like “oh, my god! It is too late! My life and my youth just passed without doing anything special, without being able to do things for the others”, “I must have done something”, on the other hand you have worked, you have worked very hard, as hard as you could, you remember that you worked for long hours, you worked until late at night and have always had pain on your body, you were always tired, sweated during the day and sleepy early in the evening, but still you feel like you did nothing, except just for a few Euros.

You feel like you were consumed, and you passed your life purposeless without utilizing your energy in a right direction, to be more useful to do things that you were supposed to do, that you were committed to do and were strongly determined to do, but you were not let to do and you feel like you were …..

On the way from the cage to the time wasting mandatory, every morning you see the old man sweeping off the leaves as they fall from the trees, and then they fall off the trees again and again, and this way, he is busy the whole day sweeping the falling leaves in the autumn. And every day from his facial impression you clearly read his internal feelings, and feel sympathy with him as you see he does not seem to be happy for what he is doing. May be seeing the falling leaves in the autumn he reminds the autumn of his life and compares it with his own life, or perhaps you make mistake, he may enjoy seeing a lot of leaves falling off the trees in the autumn for which he would be paid a few more Euros by the municipality.
In this part you also remember the teen lovers, who pass by kissing each other and trample the fallen leaves selfishly to celebrate their romantic moments with coquetry on a naturally made orange velvet carpet.

And when suddenly you see a pale leaf being taken by the autumn wind here there, you forget the old man and the lover teenagers as it reminds you of your own life, yourself, exactly like a pale leaf being taken here there by the wind of life not sure which direction you will be taken towards. The rustling sound of dry and pale leaves gets familiar to your ears on this path.

And the same is every day when you pass by the shop of the old hairdresser; from far away you hear the shearing sound of his scissors almost every day; Quich- Quich cutting the hairs and making piles of hair on the floor but you get bored seeing the same thing he is doing the whole his life, eh! Every day, cutting hairs! But you don’t know, perhaps he is happy to find a secure job for the rest of his remaining lifetime; perhaps he thinks that hair grows on daily basis and he always has work to do: just cut the hair and it grows again and never finishes; this way, he can earn a few more Euros. From this part you only like the sound of shearing scissors, when it is followed by the rustling sound of the sweeping leaves repeatedly one after the other on a daily basis, it is like a music and your ears get used to them within the time you were to follow this path.

And then late in the dark, when you are towards your cage, again you face other images; the naked legs of the young and middle –aged prostitutes that stand under the trees on this path to attract customers to sale their body for some moments for. In a short glance it seems attractive and you say; “Wow! These things could change the temper and could release the tiredness” but when your conscience bewares you of the depth of fact, in your heart you cry for them too as you regret for the old leaf sweeper or the old hair dresser, when you feel that they are doing it just for a few Euros, who knows if these prostitutes are also forced to do it unwillingly because of this wretched life.

Oh, forgot to say, there are two more sounds during the mandatory that are never forgettable for you. Out of these two, you enjoy one and the other is an abasing sound that you wish you would never heard it and you now would rather not talk about it.

As you stand for long hours to do what you are forced to, the bells of the clock of the church that is located near by, tells you the time and takes you towards release as the darkness comes, not knowing that there are still other of the same repeated boring days ahead, for a while you say “thank god, finally I am being released today” but when you think in deep, you find out you lost another twenty four hours in the hide and seek game of day and night without doing anything especial; anything for the others but just for a few Euros!

And finally in order to release yourself from thirst of a real freedom, the kind you are looking for, the only thing you can do is to try and pray to be able to break the cage and free yourself out of it as soon as possible.

Made in Afghanistan films in Germany

2008-10-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

PRESS Release

DOK Leipzig 2008 – Special Program on
„Afghanistan - Inner Views“

Films from Afghanistan – Images from an unknown land
The special program entitled „Afghanistan - Inner Views” as part of the International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film will present the works of Afghan filmmakers for the first time. In doing so, DOK Leipzig is giving new impetus to intercultural dialogue and underscoring its reputation as a place of encounters. The more than a dozen films in the special program offer impressive proof of a cultural liveliness and contemporary trends from a land which had internationally been regarded until now as being without its own film scene. DOK Leipzig thus is also reacting here to a growing need for information from the public. For although Afghanistan has long been dominating our daily headlines, we know little about the land and its people.

More than just war and poverty
There are less stereotypes and more the Afghan film-makers' own view of their own land at the centre of the films in the special program. Surprisingly many young women directors are represented here with their works. One film - Alka Sadat's „Half Value Life“- is also showing in the International Young Talent Documentary Competition - Generation DOK. Most of the films reflect everyday life and normality as well as social injustices which are burning issues for the authors. These include, in particular, forms of disenfranchisement like forced marriage and the imprisonment of women, child labour and patriarchy.

DOK Leipzig as a place of encounter
Several of the Afghan film-makers will be present at the festival as guests. This will be a special opportunity for the audience to have interesting conversations. Moreover, the goal here is to bring the Afghan filmmakers, who have few professional connections, into contact with producers, commissioning editors, and interested distributors. A DOK Summit panel discussion on the subject of „Producing in a State of Emergency - Film-making in Afghanistan” aims to inform and promote greater mutual understanding. DOK Leipzig is thus providing the forum for a dialogue which the security situation in Afghanistan would otherwise make impossible.
As a complement to the film program, the photographic exhibition „Unfinished Business – Afghanistan from the other's point of view” will offer new insights into the subject matter. More than 60 pictures, which have mainly come from Afghan photographers, provide an unfiltered view of Afghan reality. The special program has been created by Martin Gerner, the initiator and director of 2005's Afghanistan Film Festival Cologne, who has regularly visited the country since the beginning of 2004. We would be very pleased if you would support us in spreading the word about our festival. Please direct any enquiries to the press office:
Katrin Haucke // presse@dok-leipzig.de // Tel.: +49 341 308 64 16

Film Information

Shadows of war
The beginning is made by „Passageway“, a stirring chronicle about a chapter in the Afghan civil war whose horrors were further intensified by the subsequent seizure of power by the Taliban. Director Abdul H. Danish will be showing in Leipzig for the first time the uncensored version of his film. The chaos of war and the ensuing trauma are also expressed in „My Kabul“, a journey by taxi through the capital which is both destroyed and in the process of reconstruction. An atmospheric picture which recounts the memories of the taxi passengers about the war and has not lost any of its topicality. „Shelter“is the first Afghan animated film of international quality after more than two decades of war. It shows both the scale of the population's broken psyche as well as the positive principle of hope.T he painful break with the past is exposed by „Dream of Light“ through the example of Kabul's wrecked power supply. The stoical way the protagonists cope with the shortage is a testament to unknown human virtues.
This along with other films in the selection is expressly indebted to cinéma vérité.

Women's fates
Another issue in the special programs are women's fates: „Half Value Life“, the portrait of a courageous public prosecutor by the young woman director Alka Sadat, seems to confirm our cliché of a misogynous society marked by irrevocable traditions. „Moral Crimes“, Karim Amin's insight into a women's prison of Mazar-i-Sharif, also gives an idea of what a tough time justice and a new constitution both have against traditional principles. The inmates of this prison are women and their children who have resisted arranged marriages. Nevertheless, the social development in Afghanistan isn't necessarily only static or retrograde as can be divined from „Mesh“. Director Aarzoo Burhani looks here at the burka, the item of clothing which foreigners commonly associate with Afghanistan. Naturally, Afghan women also have desires and wishes: the camerawoman, who is at the centre of „A Girl from Kabul“, is of necessity a confirmed single. Her experience here is that independence in one's profession is hardly compatible with the society around her. „Zakia Did Stand up“follows the murder of a female journalist who did successfully embody the new press freedom in Afghanistan for a certain period of time. Other filmmakers have gone abroad because of the conditions. „Behold Alone a Woman at the Beginning of a Cold Season“shows the self-portrait of a woman writer who is fighting with her inner conflict and her new home in Europe.

Normality and everyday life
And, finally, the Afghan film-makers take a non-dramatic look at their own everyday life: „Sahar, the Young Carpet Maker“contradicts the often stereotypically portrayed subject of child labour. „A Day in the Life of Rahela“is one of several works in the film program achieving high concentration and authenticity through a precise and calm talent for observation. The exuberance and the travails of everyday life co-exist on equal terms. „Bulbul – The City Bird“tells the story of a group of street children who work as car washers. The Kabul of the nouveau riche and the precarious everyday life clash here as parallel worlds. „Buddha, the Girl and Water“take the observer to the place where the Taliban destroyed the historical Buddha statues and the people have other problems than thinking about its reconstruction. And in „The Last Shout“, another animated film, two matches fall in love with one another. The language and setting bear the signs of a globalized reality. What appears completely harmless to Western viewers - the kiss of two matches - represents a provocation according to Afghan standards.

International Leipzig Festival for Documentary and Animated Film

NKA or The Narcotic Kingdom of Afghanistan

2008-10-11T03:24:00.000-07:00

Graphic work by Jafar Rezaye

Some updates from the NKA (The Narcotic Kingdom of Afghanistan)
In the present Narcotic Kingdom of Afghanistan which is also called Islamic State of Afghanistan during the day and Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan during the night things are in progress and no matter if some people die of violence, hunger or unjust treatment of the system on daily basis.
When we talk in general, there all things are fine, every thing is all right when His Majesty Hamid Karzai and the honorable family members are fine and doing well.
The business of the honorable family is on without any problems, obstacles or challengers and the Partners’ Group* is also happy with the family of His Majesty.

The general situation
There may be two to five blasts in some cities like, the capital of the Narcotic Territory, on daily basis that may kill or hurt ten to twelve people, and some people are dying of hunger on daily basis, but in a wider aspect if we compare it with the situation of even the first world countries, it is not a matter to be concerned about; fifty to sixty people are being killed on daily basis in accidents and incidents even in first world counties like America, or the UK; therefore killing of people in the Narcotic Territory is assumed by His Majesty as a normal thing like a daily incident that happens anywhere in the world.

See the flags on the vehicles

In this proud territory, we have a unique system of titling the state; in most of the parts of territory the title of territory and the flag of the territory change during the night, and then during the day it is named again as the first title. For the poor, it is called a democratic elected government and for the religious it is titled, Islamic Government so that they would also be satisfied with the title of the land. It is one of the wonders in the contemporary global village.

His Majesty, the most fashionable king of his time

His Majesty, the most fashionable king of his time with a unique costume style among 220 leaders of the world is ruling on most part of the capital of the Opiumic Territory of the Kingdom, during the day, and during the night, when His Majesty is in rest, again no matter because the Partners’ Group take over and change the title of the state and the flag of the state until the next day and life passes this way. Nowadays his Majesty’s soldiers do not escape any more from the army, and his officers in the army do not betray any more as the recent news show. Because recently in order to handle the situation and synchronize, systemize and equalize the whole Territory, His Majesty has decided to reward the Armed Opium Growers or The Partners’ Group with incentives who deserve this reward to bring a worldwide fame for the Opiumic Territory as a result the entire system is now equal and there is no need to worry about the oppositions, or insurgency nothing left to betray about, the whole system is corrupted and no fear to accuse someone for corruption, and then it makes no sense to make distinguish in between right or left, the whole parts of the Glorious Opiumic Territory will thereafter be led by the party of Armed Opium Growers (The Partners’ Group) who have shown courage and scarification during the last two years not only to the level of blasting themselves by the explosives but also killing many others too at a time so as a result they have exterminated the poor and there would not be any poverty on proud Opiumic Territory anymore, which is one of the main plans of His Majesty.

Recently, understanding that his costume is colorful enough to represent his proud territory in the contemporary world, His Majesty has thought of changing the flag of the kingdom in his latest reforms.
His Majesty thought that black, red and green are not good colors and ordered to change the color of the flag of proud Opiumic Territory into white so this way, every one would be seen through one eye*.

Wishing an Opiumful life for the people, His Majesty also ordered the people to be always happy and proud and laugh or at least smile when the near or far friends ask them about their situation, because as explained by him, there is nothing on the proud Territory to be worried about, every thing is all right; for instance The honorable younger brother is in charge Opium affairs and the honorable older one is in charge of negotiations and dealing the lands of the territory with the religious relatives as well as with the department of incentives for the Armed Opium Growers (The Partners’ Group)so to make the whole parts of the Opiumic Territory the same and there won’t be any fear or difference because there will not be two sides or two blocks any more so the entire territory will be given to The Partners’ Group and then every thing is all right in the country. The prince (the nephew) is also has taken a small responsibility in the house of people and life is the most comfortable than any other time in the history of the Narcotic Kingdom of Afghanistan for both, the honorable family of His Majesty as well as for the people.

Graphic work by Jafar Rezaye

When some curious people asked His Majesty about some sounds and booms they were horrified by, His Majesty assured the people, that there is nothing to be worried about at all, it may be some explosives used by The Partner’s Group, for the economical plan and demolishing poverty in the proud Territory that is for the betterment of the people.
And if someone is hurt or vanished by this plan, still no problem and they can just assume it as a daily incident and a daily accident occurs even in a safe and developed country like America or Great Britain said by His Majesty.

Graphic work by Jafar Rezaye

At the end wishing a long life for the Opiumic Territory, His Majesty encouraged the people for hard working for a better harvest of the Opiumic Territory in this year to be able to keep the world record for the territory in the coming year as well.

Wishing for his long life the people threw poppy flowers on their king and moved towards their farms to scrape and pare their opium buds.

Some photos of the King of Narcotic Kingdom of Afghanistan

No where is like his home for a refugee!

2008-10-08T05:47:00.000-07:00

Photo by Cosimo Filippini

As a refugee in Italy

I was going to write about the immigration, refuge and the situation of the immigrants and the refugees in Italy on 16th September for the Immigration Day celebrated in Milan, but I didn’t have time then, and nowadays after hearing the reports of misbehavior with immigrants, refugees and or foreign citizens living in Italy I am to write a few lines and explains the situation for the readers.

Lately a student from Ghana was beaten up very badly by the local police in Parma and that was published in the printing press throughout the country. These days some other reports of misbehavior with the immigrants or refugees are being reported on the printing press.

A few weeks before that, an Italian – African teenager was murdered for a little thing that was also reflected very widely in the media and some considered it as a sign of racism that is growing again in the Italian society. Following this case there were some demonstrations and gatherings against racism in some cities while some of them turned into violence in between police and the demonstrators in some places.

Where the problems rise from?
It is difficult at the same time easy to analyze where the problems rise from in between the immigrants- refugees (foreigners) and the original nationals (the national citizens) of a country which cause misunderstandings in between the two sides.

There are not enough assistances and directions by the responsible offices
Because of geographical location of Italy, this country receives thousands of immigrants annually and it causes rapid growth of immigrants in this country and immigration has become a big issue of discussion in the government cabinet in the recent months.

While communication is the best tool that could bring understating between the “stranieri” and the citizens but in this regard the government of Italy does not have a vast program for the public awareness about the phenomena of immigration and refuge to their country so that the “stranieri” and the citizens would understand each other and live in a better environment during the time they are being settled in this country.
At the same time, enough information is not provided to the foreigners who are divided in to two groups; the immigrants and the refugees.

Non existence of a clear definition of an immigrant and a refugee based on the international laws and conventions, neither for the refugees and immigrants nor for the citizens of the country result that most of the citizens who are not aware of the situation think that these people came to their country to be free-fed by their government and they would finish the resources so most people always see the immigrants and refugees through humiliating eyes.

One of the reasons is because of bulk numbers of immigrants in this country, there are not enough resources for such programs by the Italian government, while there are other reasons too.

For a refugee going to a new country is a new birth or new life
For refugees and immigrants who are fleeing their home country because of different risks their life face with, it is too difficult to easily coup with the difficulties and problems they face in a new land where they are moving or being forced to move for the first time. It is absolutely as a new born, a new totally new life and it takes time, like years and years until a refugee would be able to merge himself in a new society and it is a bit more difficult with close societies one of which is the Italian society.
So it would be harder for the refugees when they are not felt by the people living around them, if they are not being assisted by the host country the live in.

Who is a refugee and who is an immigrant

Immigrants
Some people escape their home country because of the general worsening and critical situation in their country such as war, crisis, hunger, etc that would somehow effect their lives, so these people are immigrant and they immigrate to a safer place to find a better life and work.

Refugees
There are other groups of people who are specifically being targeted in their home country, because of their thoughts, beliefs, writings, activities, freedom of expression, protesting against the dictator regime they had, or belonging to a political group or have had some political activities in their home country because of what their lives are no more safe in their country and they have to escape to another land just to get a safety for their lives and then to continue their works and living there.

According the definitions provided by the international organizations working on refugees issues and immigrations issues these two categories are two different categories as well as their rights and responsibilities are different in the country they are seeking safety or help but here in Italy both are the same and there are not quite differences between the two categories and almost none are being supported or assisted by the Italian government after they are given documents of residence in this country.

No works, neither real supports for the refugees
Still an immigrant would hardly find a work, even a hard work but at least he would be able to find one in the opposite a refugee is not given a work, because the work agencies and cooperatives have more responsibilities for the political refugees if they give them work. So the refugees do not find works on the other hand there is no support by the government of Italy or UNHCR, therefore they are remained under pressure; whether they would sleep on the road or would die of hanger; no body cares about it.
However, part of this problem can be because of the overall economy of Italy, when there are many citizens too who are looking for works.

As a refugee or an immigrant, you have to;
Change your mentality about who you were in your country
Forget your past, your work background and the skills and abilities you had in your home
Be prepared for anything to do just to be alive and not die of hunger and
Do not expect alot, because you are a refugee or an immigrant so,
There are no opportunities for you if you have the ability to do something
Just keep very low profile, just eat not to die and close your eyes from the world and suppose you do not see anything that is it.

The Refuge and immigration issue misused by the Italian politicians
The refugees and immigrants issues have been misused by the politicians in this country and as a result the refugees and immigrants have been victimized.
The number of politicians from the different parties made a subject out of refugees for their electoral campaigns. Introducing the immigration and refuge issue as one of the main factors of economical and security crisis in the country some politicians drew a horrible face out of refugees and immigrants for the citizens and then made introduced some plans to solve this problems. In their explanations a high percentage of the crimes in the society were related to the immigrants and the refugees that is not true to some extend.
The citizens without knowing the reality, concerning about their social security praised these plans while in reality they do not know that the economical immigrants in Italy serve as a cheap labor force which is advantageous for the economy and industry of Italy.

Thanks to some social and religious charity organizations
The role of some of charity and religious charity organizations have been significant to assist the refugees and immigrants, for instance their dining facilities and clothing facilities are big mercies for the immigrants and refugees when they are in difficulties. These places abate the pressures of immigration issue form the shoulders of the Italian government, and are very helpful for the poor immigrants and the refugees.

Some people say it is a bit difficult to merge into Italian society
Some people believe the Italian society is not an open society easy accessible for the foreigners to merge into it, thus foreigners including immigrants or refugees are always seen and called as “stranieri” or the strangers.
We have seen people here in Italy who live for more then twelve or fifteen years, but they are still unaccustomed with the Italian society and do not have a feeling of being merged into this society, while in the other European countries living more than five or six years would be enough to merge into a society and be familiar with all characteristics of that society and feel oneself a part of that society that is very improtant.

Siamo Diversi?!
I remember when a dear Italian friend of mine told me that “siamo diversi” that means we (I and you) are different and now I want to say that of course “we are different” and that is how we have to be.
Of course we are different in complexions, culture, features, languages, traditions and social category but it is how the new world is going on ahead with diversity in the latest era of communication and technology.
And when we are different in complexion, culture, features, languages etc at the same time there are ways and possibilities to communicate with each other by sharing our things in common, abilities and skills because in spite of all these differences still as humans we have many things in common; senses, feelings, arts, crafts, flexibility, ability to learn and finally tools to communicate with each other and recognize and feel each other.
I believe the world of nowadays is more beautiful in diversity and multiculturalism whereas in countries like United States of America, Australia and Canada are the leading examples of this idea.

Is the Italian society a solid, closed and internally self- oriented society?
I don’t know if it is true or not, but at least for the “straneiri” it is a closed society.
Sometimes when we see, we find the Italians more inside themselves as they do not show interest to know about the others in the world, some say it is because they are just proud of their past glorious civilization and history of more than two thousands years back of the Roman Empire’s time, some say because they are still traditional and some say because they are not caring about the others or about what is heppening in the world of outside.
However, a very simple example is that the level of and the importance of the English Language is very low among the Italians. It is strange when we can hardly find somebody in Milan, in the capital of world fashion and Expo city for 2015 who speaks English while this city is a commercial city of the Italy. This could show us that the people in Italy do not care about this language and the cultures of the other for instance. Same is the case with the level of interest for the cultural exchange programs, events etc with the other countries and other nations, perhaps they do not want to get involved or at least do not want to know about the other parts of the world, which once again shows, they are very Italian and they think very Italian. Same is the case to know or understand about “stranieri”; the refugees and the immigrants and thier countries, so people do not show interest to merge them in Italian society.

Here things move very piano piano (slowly) and if you ask why so slowly, why not faster; you will hear a response;” “Here is Italy”, “piano, piano”, “Rome is not built overnight”, that means if you want a concrete thing get done here, it takes time and you have to be patient. Anyhow, in spite of all the abovementioned characteristics (of course from the eye of a refugee) still the Italians are nice people.

The IRI Regime takes revenge from Afghanistan

2008-10-07T04:26:00.000-07:00

The Islamic Republic of Iran still interferes in Afghan’s affairs
Experiencing different crisis in their country, although the Afghan people in general are already much brighter and more matured in understanding their socio- political situation better than ten to fifteen years back when they were victims of different crises brought in by disappearing factors from their neighboring countries, but still a series of serious destructive interferences have started by IRI in this country.

As a continuous interference of Iran- Pakistan and Saudi Arabia in the in Afghanistan affairs this country was burning in a fire ignited by the matches of these countries from late 1980s to end of 1990s.

As a result of interferences of these countries in Afghanistan’s affairs the biggest damages had occurred from different aspects during the civil war of 1990s; the relatively unity and social affinity that were slowly on rooting among the different ethnics of Afghanistan, was broken and the economical and social infrastructures of the country were destroyed, the national wealth were looted and a big chink was made among the people when the neighboring countries played the major roles in this country; practically the country turned into some self-ruling regions each led by the agents and hireling of either of these countries. They were as partners in the ownership of the parts they were supporting their hireling groups where they could have their influences whether by capital investments and money and weapon distribution among the people, by ethnic and tribal relations or by religious and sectarian affiliation of the people in the regions. And then finally Afghanistan was how they wanted; a country broken into pieces not only without a strong central government but without a government at all.

While Pakistan supported the groups in the eastern and southern provinces, Saudi Arabia eastern provinces, southern and north eastern provinces by making religious madrasas and centers and Iran supporting the groups in the central highlands, in the western provinces and then in the capital. At the end, there were many political and military groups each affiliated to one of these three countries.

While most of the Pashtoon groups were supported by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, Iran Supported Tajik groups based on their language, culture and ethnicity affiliation with Iran at the same time supported the Hazara groups based on their sectarian and religious affiliation with this country.

After the Taliban took the power in 1995 Pakistan and Saudi Arabia found more opportunities to influence in this country but Iran had smaller role supporting the defeated groups of Tajiks and Hazaras until 2002 when the Taliban were collapsed and once again the northern allies groups consist of Persian speaking troops were able to breath, then Iran again got a major role to interfere in Afghanistan.

Sayed Mustafa Kazimi, who was killed in a blast last year

The cruel plan for creation of Sepaah e Mohammad (The Mohammad Force) the Shiite Al-Qaeeda
While Al-Qaeeda is a terrorist group of the extremist sunny Muslims that is supporting the Taliban, the Iranian Government was planning to make a structure called Sepah e Mohammad or The Mohammad Forces based on a mixture model of their Sepah and Basij (the IRI defending force and the people’s mobilized forces) to send to Afghanistan to ignite fire against the interest of the western countries when something happened against the interest of IRI in Afghanistan.

It was beginning of 2003 when a lot of returnees were repatriating from Iran to Afghanistan many efforts were made to attract the youth for this terrorist groups in Herat, Kabul and Mazar e Sharif. But fortunately most efforts were spoilt as the people tend to show interest in civilian lives than militarism again in this country. They were spending a lot of money to publicize this new born group but luckily the people who were the responsible persons for this Mission were not trusted ones among the people thus their efforts were not so useful otherwise by now we were witnessing creation and growth of a Shiite Al-Qaeeda group called Sepah e Mohammad in the cities of Afghanistan.

One of the top responsible person for leading this mission and organizing this group was Sayed Mustafa Kazimi the ex-minister of commerce and then Member of Parliament who was killed in a mysterious suicide attack in Baghlan province last year whereas the Taliban neither took the responsibility for that blast.

The next person was Shaikh Zaki another Mullah who was killed (poisoned mysteriously) just a few months before Mustafa Kazimi in Kabul and the medical report diagnosed the cause of his death appendix problem which was not true.

These two people were the direct links of the Iranian regime with the people they were influencing in Kabul and provinces but fortunately their plans were left behind without a success after they left this world.

When the Iranian regime was disappointed to give birth and expand Sepah e Mohammad as the Shiite Al-Qaeeda force, then they tend to support the Taliban by providing them financial and armament supports which were evidenced for several times and then finally the Taliban themselves announced lately that they are being provided with weapons by the Iranian Regime.

The end of Ramazan gathering in Kabul for Qods Day

The last Friday of Ramazan that was named as Qods Day in the early 1980s by Ayatullah Khomaini the Iranian religious leader of that time, is being celebrated annually in Iran to show solidarity with the Palestine’s Muslim people.

This year there was a gathering in Kabul at the end of the holy month of Ramazan that was for sure organized by the non- Hazara Shiite minority hireling of the IRI regime in Kabul.

Most of the participants in this gathering were the poor illiterate labor people being led by some religious leaders affiliated to IRI regime.
While the people were holding the photo of the holy Mosque of Aqsa of Jerusalem and the photo of Hassan Nasrullah Hezbollah leader, they carried placards written against the presence of Israel in Palestine and presence of America in Iraq and Afghanistan which was obvious that the IRI hirelings have organized this gathering in Kabul.

This gathering was ended by a twelve article manifesto in which they asked the parliament of Afghanistan to timeline the presence of the invader foreign troops in this country and warned the coalition forces to stop the blind bombings of the innocent civilians other wise god would curse them badly.

In this gathering not only the Shiite IRI agents were present but also religious leaders representing the extremist sunny groups such as Hezb e Islami were present there as well which means the current situation of the country, repeated mistakes of the NATO and Coalition forces in there air strikes that kill a lot of innocent civilians and security instability again has opened a way for the IRI regime to have chance of interference through their hireling people even in the capital of the country.

This time the IRI regime is more matured in their policies and has been able to bring together the extremists of both sectarian groups; the Shiite extremists and the Sunny extremists.

In their speeches these IRI agents have even defended the Iranian nuclear program and have condemned the western countries for boycotting and applying bans against Iran.

After Mustafa Kazimi and Shaikh Zaki were killed, people like, Sayed Ali Javed, ex- minister of transport, currently MP, Sayed Hadi Hadi and Ayatullah Asif Mohseni are the Shiites linked with the IRI Regime in Kabul.

Ayatullah Asif Mohseni,

In a short glance it seems purposeless and meaningless to talk about Palestine,Lebanon and Iraq from Afghanistan while there are several problems within this country to talk about and resolve them. But if we see it a bit deeper, we know where these people are being persuaded from; by the IRI Regime that is trying to challenge the western countries in Afghanistan to revenge them no matter if Afghanistan harms.

This shows that the western countries involved in Afghanistan should not take it for granted, because this is a real sign of danger for them as well as for Afghanistan from inside the country.

If there will not be any serious changes soon for a better security stability and anti corruption operations, countries like Iran and Pakistan are just ambushing for any sign of weaknesses by the international community to attack their basis and their interests in Afghanistan.

Some photos of Qods day celebrated by the IRI hirelings in Kabul