Page 74 - Metro
P. 74
"@QQXHMF SGD EFG@M M@SHNM@KHSX V@R SGD AHFFDRS RG@LD ENQ LD adapting the documentary EFG@M 2S@Q +DYDQD 0DUNLQJ
@R @ BGHKC HM 3DGQ@M VGDQD LX EFG@M O@QDMSR KHUDC ENQ L@MX 6@Q #NFR 7RGG 3KLOOLSV D UHDO OLIH LQVSLUHG GUDPD DERXW
XD@QR ( V@R BNLOKDSDKX AKHMC @ANTS EFG@MHRS@M @MC LX O@Q- PXQLWLRQV GHDOV IRU WKH $IJKDQ 1DWLRQDO $UP\ WKDW KHOS VHW XS
DMSR CHCM S G@UD SG@S LTBG :HMENQL@SHNM< SN FHUD LD 3GDX VDQD WZR 86 DUPV WUDGHUV DQG 3GD *HSD 1TMMDQ (Marc Forster, 2007),
RN XNTMF VGDM SGDX LNUDC SN (Q@M which pairs the guilt of a boy over his treatment of a friend with
the cruelty and violence of the Taliban.
,W ZDVQpW XQWLO DIWHU WKH HYHQWV RI 6HSWHPEHU WKDW VKH VHW IRRW ([SORUDWLRQV E\ QRQ 86 ĺOPPDNHUV WHQG WR RIIHU JUHDWHU
LQ KHU PRWKHU DQG IDWKHUpV KRPHODQG :KHQ KHU IDPLO\ HYHQWX nuance, focusing on the plight of Afghans rather than that of
ally moved back, they returned to the ‘small and isolated village $PHULFDQV WKRXJK WKH VKDGRZ RI WURXEOH UHPDLQV ,UDQLDQ GL
VRPHZKHUH LQ FHQWUDO $IJKDQLVWDQ ZKHUH >KHU@ SDUHQWV ZHUH rector Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s *@MC@G@Q (2001) delves into the
ERUQ DQG VSHQW WKHLU FKLOGKRRGp 7KHUH 6DGDWpV OLIH ZDV WUDQV SDUWO\ WUXH VWRU\ RI DQ $IJKDQ &DQDGLDQ ZKR UHWXUQV WR KHOS
IRUPHG 6KH GLVFRYHUHG WKH UHDOLW\ RI UXUDO H[LVWHQFH DQG DV D SDO WKHQ GLVFRYHUV WKH GLIĺFXOWLHV RI OLYLQJ XQGHU 7DOLEDQ
VKH VDZ ĺOPV DERXW $IJKDQLVWDQ WKH JDS EHWZHHQ WKH VLJKWV UXOH 7KH *ROGHQ *OREHtZLQQLQJ Osama E\ $IJKDQ
they featured and her own experiences. ZULWHU GLUHFWRU 6LGGLT %DUPDN IROORZV D JLUO IRUFHG WR GUHVV
<HW DV FDQ UHDVRQDEO\ EH H[SHFWHG WKH HOHYHQ \HDU ROG as a boy in order to provide for her family under the prevail
6DGDW IHOW GLIIHUHQWO\ DERXW WKH UHSDWULDWLRQ WKDQ KHU SDUHQWV LQJ UHJLPH $QG )UHQFK $IJKDQ GLUHFWRU $WLT 5DKLPLpV 3GD
IRU}ZKRP LW ZDV DNLQ WR oJRLQJ EDFN KRPHp /@SHDMBD 2SNMD (2012) depicts the burden worn by the wife of
an older man incapacitated by a bullet in his neck, using this
( BNTKC MNS DUDM ROD@J SGD K@MFT@FD ( JMDV MNSGHMF @ANTS SGD WR FULWLTXH WKH QDWLRQpV FRQWUROOLQJ IRUFHV
BTKSTQD @MC ( V@R MNS TRDC SN KHUHMF HM QTQ@K O@QSR m DRODBH@KKX 6DGDWpV FRQWHQWLRQ FRQWLQXHV WR ULQJ WUXH ZKHQ LW FRPHV
@ BNLOKDSDKX CHRBNMMDBSDC OK@BD SN SGD VNQKC 3GDQD V@R MN to documentaries, which expectedly examine the toll of war:
DKDBSQHBHSX S@O V@SDQ RHFM@K ENQ OGNMDR @MC NE BNTQRD MN HMSDQ- the insights into the refugee existence in 3GD !NX 6GN /K@XR
MDS -NSGHMF MNS DUDM @ RBGNNK ENQ LD SN FN SN NM SGD !TCCG@R NE !@LHX@M 3KLO *UDEVN\ WKH 'DQLVK
account of Afghan soldiers in QL@CHKKN -DQXV 0HW]
6DGDWpV H[SHULHQFHV PLJKWQpW LQLWLDOO\ VHHP FRQGXFLYH WR WKH WKH FKURQLFOH RI 86 WURRSV VHUYLQJ LQ $IJKDQLVWDQ LQ 1DRSQDON
SHUVSHFWLYH WKDW KHU ĺOP SURYLGHV KRZHYHU ZKDW VKH H[SHUL 7LP +HWKHULQJWRQ 6HEDVWLDQ -XQJHU DQG LWV VHTXHO
enced and learned informs every part of 6NKE @MC 2GDDO. *NQDMF@K -XQJHU
:KLOH 6DGDWpV ĺOP GHYLDWHV IURP WKH QRUP LJQRULQJ WKH
2DUDM XD@QR KHUHMF SGDQD F@UD LD RN L@MX SGHMFR DUDM SGNTFG SHUYDVLYH FRQĻLFW LVQpW KHU VROXWLRQ 6NKE @MC 2GDDO comes
( SGNTFGS @S SGD SHLD SG@S HS SNNJ RN LTBG EQNL LD ( G@C SGD WR D FORVH ZLWK LWV FKDUDFWHUV VFXUU\LQJ DZD\ IURP WKHLU KRPHV
NOONQSTMHSX SN KD@QM @ANTS QTQ@K O@QSR NE EFG@MHRS@M EFG@M after reports of encroaching gunmen – a potent reminder of
RNBHDSX @MC LDMS@KHSX BTKSTQD K@MFT@FD the nation’s troubles, which is effective because audiences
have already witnessed the life they’re being forced to abandon.
8OWLPDWHO\ VKH GHVFULEHV WKDW FKDSWHU LQ KHU \RXWK DV oDQ H[ ,QGHHG VKRW ZLWK QDWXUDOLVP DQG SHUIRUPHG E\ QRQ SURIHVVLRQDO
WUHPHO\ FORVH XS VKRW RI $IJKDQLVWDQp D VWDWHPHQW WKDW FDQ Afghan actors who convey their characters’ plights as though
DOVR DSSO\ WR KHU IHDWXUH 6KH OLYHG WKURXJK WKH PLQXWLDH RI they’ve lived these themselves, 6NKE @MC 2GDDO proves unlike
WKH GD\ WR GD\ WKDW PDQ\ $IJKDQV FDOO WKHLU RZQ t WKH VDPH WKH EXON RI RWKHU HIIRUWV VHW LQ WKH FRXQWU\ ,WpV D VOLFH RI OLIH
demarcations, chatter, expectations and traditions that she portrait made by someone who has been through or witnessed
KDV GHSLFWHG LQ 6NKE @MC 2GDDO. This was a life that wasn’t PXFK RI ZKDW KHU ĺOP VKRZV EXW KDV DOVR H[SHULHQFHG H[LVW
FRQFHUQHG ZLWK QRU LGHQWLĺHG E\ WKH W\SH RI WXUPRLO WKDW WKH ence elsewhere, encountered prevailing conceptions of her
nation is constantly associated with. homeland and become conscientious about the need to make
7KH LGHD WR GUDZ RQ KHU RZQ OLIH IRU D ĺOP FDPH DERXW DI D PRYLH WKDW EULGJHV WKH JDS EHWZHHQ WKH WZR
WHU VKH PRYHG WR .DEXO DV D WHHQDJHU o%\ FKDQFH , ZHQW WR :KDW UHVXOWV LV D VWRU\ WKDW UHPDLQV FRJQLVDQW RI ERWK LQ
WKH GRFXPHQWDU\ ĺOP ZRUNVKRS $WHOLHUV 9DUDQ .DEXO p VKH VLGHU DQG RXWVLGHU SHUVSHFWLYHV 6DGDWpV H[SHULHQFHV t OHDYLQJ
UHFRXQWV oZKLFK ZDV D VKRUW WHUP )UHQFK GRFXPHQWDU\ ZRUN 7HKUDQ IRU .DEXO WKHQ PDNLQJ KHU PRYLH ZLWK WKH VXSSRUW RI
shop that had activities in countries with poor cinema indus the Cannes Film Festival’s Cinéfondation residency – have as
tries, spreading the cinema vérité style.’ Through this, she sisted her in crafting a personal yet universal representation of
oIHOO LQ ORYH ZLWK WKLV FLQHPD WKDW WDONHG DERXW WUXWK DQG UHDO $IJKDQLVWDQpV RQ WKH JURXQG UHDOLW\ 7KDW DQ LQVLJKWIXO H[SORUD
LW\p ZKLFK IRU KHU ZHUH oWKH WZR PDLQ LWHPV PLVVLQJ LQ ĺOPV tion of the country eventuates in 6NKE @MC 2GDDO is as much
DERXW}$IJKDQLVWDQp E\ GHVLJQ DV LW LV IURP LQHYLWDELOLW\ WKH RUGLQDU\ HYHQWV WKH ĺOP
depicts are framed as just that, but, to viewers fed a diet of
( OQDEDQQDC kBSHNM BHMDL@ LNQD SG@M CNBTLDMS@QX RN ( CDBHCDC media that paint Afghanistan differently, they’re extraordinary.
SN L@JD kKLR @ANTS SGD DUDQXC@X KHED NE ODNOKD @MC SN RSDO NM
BKHBGĔR @ANTS EFG@MHRS@M VGHBG @KV@XR @KK SGD SHLD HR ADHMF GSSO VNKE@MCRGDDOkKL BNL
KNNJDC :@S< SGQNTFG V@Q
2@Q@G 6@QC HR @ !QHRA@MD A@RDC EQDDK@MBD kKL BQHSHB @MC VQHSDQ m
There’s certainly a need for movies about Afghanistan that
JR EH\RQG LWV WXUEXOHQW SROLWLFDO FOLPDWH 1RQ $IJKDQ PDGH Endnote
HIIRUWV RIWHQ XVH WKH FRXQWU\ DV DQ H[DPSOH RI WKH EURDGHU UH 1 7KRXJK LW PXVW EH FODULŷHG WKDW VKRRWLQJ WRRN SODFH LQ 7DMLNLVWDQ
gion’s struggles, as evidenced in 6GHRJDX 3@MFN %NWSQNS *OHQQ WR HQVXUH WKH VHFXULW\ RI WKH ŷOPpV SURGXFWLRQ WHDP VHH $OLVVD
)LFDUUD -RKQ 5HTXD EDVHG RQ D PHPRLU E\ ZDU MRXU 6LPRQ o)LOP 5HYLHZ Wolf and Sheep’, Variety 0D\
QDOLVW .LP %DUNHU 1NBJ SGD *@RA@G %DUU\ /HYLQVRQ DQ KWWS YDULHW\ FRP ŷOP IHVWLYDOV ZROI DQG VKHHS FDQQHV
account of the tumult surrounding a music competition, loosely ŷOP UHYLHZ ! DFFHVVHG }2FWREHU
72 • Metro Magazine 195 | © ATOM