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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

With a short film in Milan?!

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

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