What We Left Unfinished
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
WHAT WE LEFT UNFINISHED brings together newly rediscovered and restored footage from five lost Afghan Communist feature films — The April Revolution (1978), Downfall (1987), The Black Diamond (1989), Wrong Way (1990), and Agent (1991) — with present-day interviews that reveal the behind-the-scenes stories of the filmmakers — including directors, actors, and crew members who often swapped roles — and new footage shot in the same locations by some of the same directors and cinematographers. Just as the original filmmakers did when they shot action scenes with real bullets, hired ex-agents to play spies, or restaged the Communist coup d’état with the army, air force, and an awful lot of tanks and missiles, WHAT WE LEFT UNFINISHED interweaves histories and fictions. But it's also a tribute to a tight-knit group of filmmakers who loved cinema enough to risk their lives for art. Despite government interference, censorship boards, scarce resources, armed opposition, and near-constant threats of arrest and even death, they made films that were subversive and, in the filmmakers’ opinions, constructed fictions that were always “true” to life.
Educational Media Reviews Online | Danette Pachtner, Librarian for Film, Video & Digital Media and Women's Studies, Duke University
"What We Left Unfinished provides a unique view into a period in Afghanistan not often seen. Its website provides screening information, educational resources and context, including an Afghan history cheat sheet. Subjects for use in the classroom include the history of Afghanistan, the Cold War, legacies of Communism, Cultural Anthropology, Cultural Studies and Cinema Studies. The film is highly recommended."
Read the full review!
The New School for Social Research | Ann L. Stoler, Willy Brandt Distinguished University Professor of Anthropology and Historical Studies
"The sound and sense of the film and the entire notion of producing a new archive of an unfinished one, was so powerful and brilliant. Ghani opens up the possibility of what it means to 'document' — to teach — visually, verbally, with image and imagination in so many ways. It's an inspiration for us all to do so much with the unfinished of so many political moments - for me in Indonesia, and elsewhere."
Bard College, Hessel Museum of Art | Ann E. Butler, Director of Library and Archives, Center for Curatorial Studies
"A compelling analysis of the impact of war and political instability on state-run film archives and state-sponsored feature filmmaking programs by Director/ Producer Mariam Ghani. What We Left Unfinished examines the tenuous relationship between truth-telling and storytelling through a material study of film fragments from five unfinished feature films produced during the Communist era in Afghanistan (1978-1991). Ghani's incisive forensic analysis and historical rendering ultimately questions how we know what we know and what constitutes historical evidence. I hope this title is recommended for media studies and cultural studies, in addition to cinema studies curricula."
Friedrich-Meinecke-Institut, Freie Universität Berlin | Timothy Nunan, Freigeist Fellow in Global History
"What We Left Unfinished is at once a fascinating reconstruction of the doomed Afghan experiment in socialism as well as an exploration of how artists reflect on their creations across the divides of the end of the Cold War and the 'War on Terror.' Through the stories of several Afghan filmmakers and their half-completed film projects, we get perspectives on what socialism and modernity meant for a generation of Afghan intellectuals from their point of view. Afghans sought ways to translate their experience of war and revolution to the silver screen, but also experimented with crime dramas and romance films capturing the tensions of Third World socialism and modernization. For a nation whose story is often reduced to one of geopolitical conflict and terrorism, Ghani's reconstruction of these worlds is no small feat. I would use What We Left Unfinished in classroom teaching on the history of Afghanistan and the Cold War, as well as classes on the legacies of Communism. The theme of artists’ position vis-à-vis state power and ideology transcends the specifics of the Afghan case. And as questions loom over the future of American and international support for the Afghan government in the long term, Ghani’s film puts a human face on Afghans’ quest to fashion a place for themselves in the world between the Cold War and post 9/11 structures of American power."
University of California, Berkeley | Elena Schneider, Associate Professor of History
"An amazing film and work of filmic reconstruction from the archives. What We Left Unfinished probes the relationship between the state and artists under Cold War socialism, alongside existential questions about artistic creation, memory, and how we know what we know. As a historian, I found myself enthralled by this stunning, previously unknown story and fascinated by comparisons with Cuba and Russia."
New York University | Andrew Weiner, Assistant Professor of Art Theory and Criticism
"Terrific work, gripping on virtually every level, and highly recommended to anyone with an interest in global left memory, archival practices, and aesthetics and politics."
Bard Early College, Queens | Zohra Saed, Assistant Professor in Literature
"This priceless documentary stitches together unfinished Afghan films from the 1970s and 1980s with the voice of directors and pioneer women actors. The unfinished films are given a rich life by their stories and memories. It offers spectacularly rare films, since many of these reels were inaccessible or lost in the archives. What We Left Unfinished is essential viewing for anyone interested in the complexity of Afghanistan."
Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival | Truth to Power Award Jury Statement
"With our relative privilege as Canadians, we don’t often get to see certain stories from certain lives. What We Left Unfinished brings to Toronto a story of survival and expression through examining a forgotten medium: unfinished propaganda films from Afghanistan. Ms. Ghani deftly weaves together archival footage, recent interviews, and atmospheric shots of destruction and what is rebuilt. We congratulate and thank her for bringing this film to Reel Asian."
Film Inquiry | Alexander Miller
"In recounting these stories, we see cinema as a tool, a form of entertainment, propaganda, and in ways both literal and metaphorical as a weapon. What Mariam Ghani provides is an active document that interacts with the viewer by sharing a unique, practically unheard of chapter of cinematic history that’s shaped by a nation’s tumultuous legacy. The curated movie clips are impeccably edited and illuminating in how raw these movies feel, not in terms of restoration; some of these surviving movies look terrific. While it might sound dense and only appealing to a niche demographic, Ghani’s immersive record is a curiosity that will satisfy any inquiring cinematic mind."
Variety
"What We Left Unfinished is cultural archaeology of special interest to cineastes. Excerpts from surviving footage plus latter-day interviews with the filmmakers highlight the fragility of artistic creation under turbulent circumstances, and provide insight into a hitherto largely inaccessible period in which strict political messaging nonetheless permitted a great deal of intriguing celluloid expression… Most [of the filmmakers] assumed the unfinished features were lost forever… Their joy at seeing their work decades later is infectious. They also share some hilarious and hair-raising stories that recall those of the cinema’s earliest days… Ghani adds another texture to the mix of archival footage and talking heads by including elegant tracking shots through the decrepit (but still gorgeous) interior of what was once the headquarters of the nation’s film industry. Ian Olds’ editing merits special credit in a package that feels amiably unhurried despite its short running time. This fascinating footnote to screen history is further polished by Qasim Naqvi’s attractive electronic score."
Hyperallergic
"By combining the surviving crew members’ reminiscences with the restored footage, Ghani creates a fascinating quasi-historical document. The films’ versions of then-contemporary events, or their expression of societal conditions, often clash with what the real people recall … We sometimes speak of art as a mirror for culture. What We Left Unfinished interrogates what reflection we see in the mirror."
Houston Chronicle
"What We Left Unfinished is a soaring testament to what movies can mean to a people."
Filmlöwin, The Feminist Film Journal
"Sheds light on the tension between art and politics, aspiration and reality."
Farsi Cinema Center
"Uncovering a brilliant, once-lost history and retelling the story of Afghan cinema in a new light."
Brooklyn Rail
"Ghani’s extraordinary documentary stemmed from her efforts to preserve those films from deterioration, some of them having been archived but unfinished. [...] What We Left Unfinished is powerful enough to rouse a (fetishistic?) interest in a virtually unknown chapter of world cinema history."
Film Inquiry
"Unfinished's mere existence serves a testament to archivists and government supported film, and their historical necessity."
East Bay Express
"A capsule history of a fascinating but dangerous period in a perennially divided nation."
48 Hills
"As the documentary progresses, we realize Ghani is actually constructing a whole new feature film using the clips to illustrate the film makers’ memories and political perspectives … What We Left Unfinished is worth seeing — if for no other reason — to remind us of what happens to the arts when US-backed, reactionary religious forces come to power."
Ecran Noir
"It encourages us to think of cinema as the art of preserving the past and resuscitating the dead, but also of rewinding, or even stopping, time that never stops spinning. Finished, these films might have been forgotten. Unfinished, they achieve a taste of eternity."
Oliver Armknecht, film-rezension.de
"While the topic may seem at first glance to be too specialized or historically and geographically distant, What We Left Unfinished is a thoroughly exciting insight into the work of filmmakers. Some parts are universal – the balancing act between self-fulfillment and security likely haunts most in the business – while other anecdotes are amazing and strange."
Claudio Casazza, Cinequanon
"It opens up a panorama of Afghan cinema in which historical facts and national myths intertwine with propaganda and artistic experimentation. The director thus reflects simultaneously on fiction and reality, and brings out a contradictory picture of the history of the Afghan state, which allows us to understand a bit of the dream and disintegration of the Afghan Communist project."
Film Threat
"A testament to the power of film, a statement on art transcending conflict, a critique of censorship and a trip down a nostalgic, cinematic memory lane."
Citation
Main credits
Ghani, Mariam (film director)
Ghani, Mariam (film producer)
Other credits
Cinematography, Adam Hogan; editor, Ian Olds; musical score, Qasim Naqvi.
Distributor subjects
Film Studies; Asian Studies; Middle East Studies; Archival Studies; Film + Art Human Rights; World History; Political Science; History of AfghanistanKeywords
WEBVTT
00:02:41.250 --> 00:02:45.374
The film had a beginning
but no end
00:02:45.375 --> 00:02:48.875
I was the cinematographer
00:02:49.291 --> 00:02:55.333
But even I couldn\'t figure out
how the film would have ended
00:02:55.791 --> 00:02:58.790
It was lost on me too
00:02:58.791 --> 00:03:03.750
Because as we were shooting
everything changed
00:03:03.958 --> 00:03:07.000
One coup led to another
00:03:07.208 --> 00:03:14.041
The Parcham faction came to power
and confiscated the film
00:03:28.583 --> 00:03:32.416
It was about an intelligence war
00:03:32.708 --> 00:03:36.875
against foreign spies
and drug smugglers
00:03:37.166 --> 00:03:42.041
But it also had a very
sweet love story
00:03:49.208 --> 00:03:56.375
I don’t think I ever shot the
beginning, just the middle
00:03:56.958 --> 00:04:02.166
I\'d only shot 20-30% when
the regime changed
00:04:02.541 --> 00:04:04.833
but the reels should
still be here
00:04:10.458 --> 00:04:15.458
It’s been a long time
since I made that film
00:04:16.083 --> 00:04:21.083
But since I was the director,
I remember
00:04:32.791 --> 00:04:36.416
It was about two lovers
from a village
00:04:38.458 --> 00:04:43.875
separated by the feud
between their clans
00:04:44.458 --> 00:04:51.208
The girl was from one ethnicity
and the boy from another
00:04:51.583 --> 00:04:55.750
And her family forbade her
to marry that boy
00:04:56.458 --> 00:05:01.458
The families, the feud,
it was like a novel
00:05:01.958 --> 00:05:09.916
And naturally, as a government film,
the script portrayed
00:05:10.333 --> 00:05:17.416
the mujahideen fighting the
government as bad or weak
00:05:27.083 --> 00:05:31.041
I wanted to make a film about
a critical issue
00:05:31.416 --> 00:05:39.291
To ask why drugs were being
smuggled out of Afghanistan
00:05:39.583 --> 00:05:43.625
and to show the roles
played by both
00:05:44.000 --> 00:05:52.000
international and local mafias
in the trafficking system
00:06:07.583 --> 00:06:12.000
My film was about the
Afghan heroin trade
00:06:12.416 --> 00:06:16.250
and the people who worked in it
00:06:16.500 --> 00:06:21.916
How these people were
being used and
00:06:22.375 --> 00:06:27.041
the role the mujahideen played
00:07:04.625 --> 00:07:08.875
There were artist unions in
Afghanistan then
00:07:09.083 --> 00:07:12.708
And I was elected to lead the
cinematographers union
00:07:16.625 --> 00:07:20.124
I had a diplomatic passport
00:07:20.125 --> 00:07:22.666
The government valued
artists that much
00:07:23.083 --> 00:07:27.708
I was 14 when I started in film
00:07:27.958 --> 00:07:34.166
But by doing this, I lost
my entire family
00:07:40.125 --> 00:07:42.666
At the time there was only
a tiny group
00:07:42.958 --> 00:07:47.416
of ‘enlightened’ or
educated women
00:07:47.791 --> 00:07:51.750
I thought we could
make a difference
00:07:52.291 --> 00:07:57.165
and work with cinema
towards a society
00:07:57.166 --> 00:08:02.416
where women gained their
rights and freedom
00:08:28.791 --> 00:08:34.041
The government of that time paid
special attention to cinema
00:08:35.333 --> 00:08:37.165
They gave you cash
00:08:37.166 --> 00:08:40.958
They would support a film
from every angle
00:08:43.833 --> 00:08:50.083
They knew that these films also
served them as propaganda
00:08:57.708 --> 00:09:04.125
Just what did the government
want to convey to the people
00:09:04.416 --> 00:09:06.540
through film?
00:09:06.541 --> 00:09:11.416
They wanted to show that
the Communist system
00:09:12.375 --> 00:09:17.625
was for the defense and
betterment of the people
00:09:18.708 --> 00:09:20.250
That\'s what they wanted
00:09:30.416 --> 00:09:35.041
Regarding my films, my
conscience is still clear
00:09:35.375 --> 00:09:38.500
Because I\'ve never lied
in my films
00:09:41.458 --> 00:09:43.791
Intuition and emotion
guided my films
00:09:44.083 --> 00:09:47.665
And sometimes they also
fit the context
00:09:47.666 --> 00:09:51.916
because I wanted to create
a visual history
00:09:52.541 --> 00:09:56.832
Like a person who sits
in the corner
00:09:56.833 --> 00:10:01.957
and records all the events
and tragedies of history
00:10:01.958 --> 00:10:05.500
That was my goal as a filmmaker
00:10:35.083 --> 00:10:37.166
(Radio Broadcast)
Dear countrymen
00:10:37.958 --> 00:10:41.291
For the first time in
Afghanistan\'s history
00:10:41.875 --> 00:10:46.583
The last remnants of the tyrannical
monarchy are gone
00:10:46.875 --> 00:10:51.833
And the power of the
royal family finished
00:10:52.750 --> 00:10:57.666
The People\'s Democratic Party
now holds all state power
00:10:57.833 --> 00:11:00.250
– Who is it?
– Look, Homaira
00:11:03.583 --> 00:11:05.083
It\'s Hamid
00:11:10.583 --> 00:11:11.833
Hamid, my son
00:11:19.833 --> 00:11:22.416
Homaira, what\'s wrong?
00:11:22.666 --> 00:11:25.416
Tell me, why are you scared?
00:11:27.416 --> 00:11:29.500
Hamid, don\'t you hear that?
00:11:30.958 --> 00:11:33.166
Yes. It\'s the revolution
00:11:43.000 --> 00:11:44.999
27 April 1978
00:11:45.000 --> 00:11:47.833
Kabul on the first day
of the revolution
00:11:53.666 --> 00:11:59.499
The monarchy\'s bad decisions
led to Daoud\'s 1973 coup
00:11:59.500 --> 00:12:03.125
which led to the Communist coup
00:12:03.458 --> 00:12:07.666
The problems built up over time
00:12:08.291 --> 00:12:14.041
And eventually led to
all the bloodshed
00:12:19.208 --> 00:12:24.083
On the day of the coup,
when President Daoud was killed
00:12:24.583 --> 00:12:26.958
I was here at Afghan Film
00:12:27.833 --> 00:12:34.000
It was bad, we were trapped
00:12:34.750 --> 00:12:38.250
We had to sneak out the back
00:12:39.166 --> 00:12:42.833
We left and headed towards home
00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:52.082
When they attacked and
00:12:52.083 --> 00:12:55.125
ruthlessly killed
President Daoud
00:12:55.750 --> 00:13:00.041
I went to the Dilkusha Palace
in the Presidential compound
00:13:00.541 --> 00:13:02.790
I wanted to film it
00:13:02.791 --> 00:13:06.833
I wanted to show the injustice
of the Communists
00:13:08.375 --> 00:13:14.041
I shot the table where
they\'d all been eating
00:13:15.833 --> 00:13:20.666
Where the Communists
had shot them all
00:13:21.375 --> 00:13:26.083
The plates, the food -
everything was blown to bits
00:13:26.416 --> 00:13:30.457
It was a slaughterhouse, barbaric
00:13:30.458 --> 00:13:33.582
I filmed it all
00:13:33.583 --> 00:13:39.416
But it was all confiscated
by the Soviets and lost
00:13:52.083 --> 00:13:57.458
In my opinion, the April Revolution
of 1978
00:13:57.916 --> 00:14:05.916
was one of the only historical
windows of opportunity
00:14:07.000 --> 00:14:10.833
for art and culture to take
root in Afghanistan
00:14:16.375 --> 00:14:24.041
It was a very open, hopeful time
for all cultural pursuits
00:14:24.625 --> 00:14:31.875
We never felt short of
funding for our films
00:14:32.250 --> 00:14:39.291
because the government made
everything available to us
00:14:39.666 --> 00:14:44.416
The Afghan National Security Forces
were at our disposal
00:14:44.833 --> 00:14:51.375
From airplanes to cannons to
tanks - whatever we needed
00:14:56.375 --> 00:15:01.458
Explosives were still very new
for us in that film
00:15:01.625 --> 00:15:04.583
We set off eight explosions
00:15:05.041 --> 00:15:08.541
and in each explosion,
we destroyed a car
00:15:09.833 --> 00:15:15.750
These were created strategically
with petrol and gunpowder
00:15:26.666 --> 00:15:33.250
And the man in charge of the
explosions and special effects
00:15:33.500 --> 00:15:37.791
He wasn’t exactly
an expert either
00:15:44.791 --> 00:15:50.458
In one scene I was playing
the commander of a platoon
00:15:51.000 --> 00:15:54.874
along with 30-40 soldiers
00:15:54.875 --> 00:15:59.041
We had surrounded
an enemy compound
00:15:59.333 --> 00:16:03.583
We were firing at it
with Kalashnikovs
00:16:04.083 --> 00:16:12.083
When the director shouted \"Cut!\"
we stopped firing
00:16:13.500 --> 00:16:20.416
But we could still hear the
sound of Kalashnikovs
00:16:20.750 --> 00:16:25.583
We turned around and saw that the
real enemy had surrounded us
00:16:25.958 --> 00:16:29.666
and were firing up at
the compound wall
00:16:30.541 --> 00:16:34.291
We all got very nervous,
ducked behind the wall
00:16:34.500 --> 00:16:38.541
and aimed our Kalashnikovs
over it
00:16:38.833 --> 00:16:43.416
Whatever we had,
we fired at them
00:16:43.833 --> 00:16:46.041
It was interesting
00:16:46.416 --> 00:16:49.625
because everyone playing soldiers
in that scene
00:16:50.000 --> 00:16:53.458
were real soldiers and veterans
00:16:53.791 --> 00:16:56.541
I was the only actor
00:16:56.958 --> 00:17:04.333
So in that scene, were you
firing real bullets?
00:17:04.541 --> 00:17:10.957
Yes, they were real because one
of our enemies was wounded
00:17:10.958 --> 00:17:16.750
He got hit and we heard him
cry out in pain
00:17:17.250 --> 00:17:21.333
Eventually they fled and
army tanks rescued us
00:17:21.916 --> 00:17:24.333
Why real bullets?
00:17:24.750 --> 00:17:29.291
Because there weren\'t any
blanks available
00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:33.000
Sometimes, very rarely,
you would find them
00:17:33.500 --> 00:17:36.875
but for the most part
we used real bullets
00:17:44.791 --> 00:17:48.333
He\'s trying to climb to
the top of a hill
00:17:48.666 --> 00:17:52.583
so he can launch a grenade
00:17:53.083 --> 00:17:59.541
But as he was climbing, real bullets
were flying around him
00:17:59.875 --> 00:18:03.500
The bullets flew, but we never
said to use blanks
00:18:03.666 --> 00:18:05.540
And he never said
00:18:05.541 --> 00:18:08.333
\"What are you doing, are you
trying to kill me?\"
00:18:08.500 --> 00:18:11.165
If the bullets had been
just a bit off
00:18:11.166 --> 00:18:12.832
he would really have been hurt
00:18:12.833 --> 00:18:17.875
But the boys said they
were excellent shots
00:18:18.083 --> 00:18:19.208
So they fired
00:18:19.500 --> 00:18:20.666
They fired
00:18:21.875 --> 00:18:26.458
We had these sorts of risks
on every film
00:18:26.625 --> 00:18:29.208
We had a passion, so
we accepted them
00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:12.707
Five directors with
five different crews
00:19:12.708 --> 00:19:15.707
would leave the
Afghan Film doors
00:19:15.708 --> 00:19:20.583
And head out to different
locations all around Kabul
00:19:20.833 --> 00:19:25.041
The conditions were that good
for filmmakers then
00:19:29.958 --> 00:19:31.875
Kill him
00:19:43.791 --> 00:19:48.040
If the government is the type
00:19:48.041 --> 00:19:55.666
that is interested in supporting
a politicized cinema
00:19:56.041 --> 00:19:58.374
Once this government ends
00:19:58.375 --> 00:20:02.958
so does the support for
film and filmmakers
00:20:37.291 --> 00:20:39.540
Amin felt he\'d won
00:20:39.541 --> 00:20:41.999
But one wonders about
the thoughts
00:20:42.000 --> 00:20:44.332
of a man who betrayed
his friends
00:20:44.333 --> 00:20:47.083
and trampled on his party
00:20:47.375 --> 00:20:50.166
He must have hoped to
become a hero
00:20:50.541 --> 00:20:55.458
But he will be remembered
as a usurper and murderer
00:21:03.875 --> 00:21:09.333
One characteristic of Hafizullah Amin
was his bravery
00:21:10.041 --> 00:21:12.583
He feared nothing,
he was always laughing
00:21:12.958 --> 00:21:15.999
He told us we could have
whatever we wanted
00:21:16.000 --> 00:21:17.749
for \"The April Revolution\"
00:21:17.750 --> 00:21:21.833
as long as we made a film
that felt alive
00:21:22.083 --> 00:21:27.582
We said, \"If you want a film
that truly feels alive\"
00:21:27.583 --> 00:21:30.082
\"then you have to act in
the film yourself\"
00:21:30.083 --> 00:21:32.041
He said, \"Certainly\"
00:21:32.708 --> 00:21:37.125
This is Amin\'s apartment
being searched
00:21:37.458 --> 00:21:41.874
By the way, this is
his real wife
00:21:41.875 --> 00:21:44.958
and kids being filmed with him
00:21:53.541 --> 00:21:56.457
And now you\'ll see a
few spectacular takes
00:21:56.458 --> 00:22:01.208
Here Amin is giving orders to
storm the President\'s palace
00:22:01.416 --> 00:22:03.124
But if he\'s in prison
00:22:03.125 --> 00:22:06.166
why are they letting him
telephone the army?
00:22:06.416 --> 00:22:09.416
Or if he\'s not in prison,
how did he get out?
00:22:09.958 --> 00:22:13.166
But he\'s not happy with something -
here\'s another take
00:22:13.958 --> 00:22:17.250
There were twenty takes or more
00:22:18.791 --> 00:22:22.708
At one point he was standing
on top of a tank
00:22:22.958 --> 00:22:28.833
It\'s the scene where he comes
from the Presidential Palace
00:22:29.083 --> 00:22:31.791
But right then
something happened
00:22:32.208 --> 00:22:38.500
We were using this big halogen
to light Amin
00:22:38.833 --> 00:22:44.416
And just as Amin arrived,
the halogen light exploded
00:22:45.000 --> 00:22:50.750
When it exploded,
one piece caught fire
00:22:50.916 --> 00:22:53.666
And the flame circled
and circled
00:22:53.791 --> 00:22:56.083
before landing right on Amin
00:22:56.458 --> 00:23:02.208
And it started to
burn his clothes
00:23:03.041 --> 00:23:09.500
And I swear that fifty Kalashnikovs
pointed right at us
00:23:09.833 --> 00:23:11.083
ready to take us out
00:23:11.333 --> 00:23:14.250
Amin laughed and told them
to calm down
00:23:14.583 --> 00:23:17.332
He said, \"Have you gone mad?\"
00:23:17.333 --> 00:23:20.625
\"Are you going to kill
all these people?\"
00:23:20.791 --> 00:23:24.291
Then we let out a
breath of relief
00:23:24.583 --> 00:23:27.708
knowing that we would survive
00:23:27.916 --> 00:23:31.625
But every scene we
shot with Amin
00:23:31.791 --> 00:23:33.958
there were always
Kalashnikovs behind us
00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:36.625
At the time of the coup d\'etat
what did you think?
00:24:37.416 --> 00:24:39.708
I was afraid
00:24:40.166 --> 00:24:43.458
I was afraid they would
come for me
00:24:44.666 --> 00:24:46.583
Who?
00:24:47.750 --> 00:24:51.791
They would take anyone
who wasn\'t one of them
00:24:52.750 --> 00:24:57.958
They would come in the night
and take you away
00:25:00.166 --> 00:25:06.625
People were afraid to speak
openly in their own homes
00:25:08.333 --> 00:25:11.165
They even told us to
put up black curtains
00:25:11.166 --> 00:25:13.791
so we couldn’t see outside
00:25:18.416 --> 00:25:21.874
Now anyone can say
anything, but then
00:25:21.875 --> 00:25:28.750
you couldn’t even say that
a minister\'s hair was crooked
00:25:28.875 --> 00:25:32.457
If you had the guts to say it,
they’d throw you in jail
00:25:32.458 --> 00:25:35.958
and five days later
you’d be dead
00:25:37.708 --> 00:25:43.541
Most people were
under surveillance
00:25:43.916 --> 00:25:48.166
unlike today, when people
are relatively free
00:25:48.416 --> 00:25:53.791
If you said anything bad about the
Russians or the government
00:25:54.083 --> 00:25:56.291
You\'d be investigated
00:26:04.916 --> 00:26:08.958
This guy Entezar was always here
00:26:09.291 --> 00:26:12.000
He\'d review each film
00:26:12.291 --> 00:26:15.874
and literally cut out
whatever he didn\'t like
00:26:15.875 --> 00:26:17.875
before it went to cinemas
00:26:18.291 --> 00:26:20.916
We had Soviet advisors
00:26:21.291 --> 00:26:24.916
We couldn’t do anything
without their permission
00:26:25.750 --> 00:26:29.541
At least a lot of films
were being made
00:26:54.250 --> 00:27:01.041
The culture of cinema-going
was huge in Kabul
00:27:01.208 --> 00:27:05.291
Once the Kabul run was over
00:27:05.416 --> 00:27:09.833
films would travel
to all the provinces
00:27:10.500 --> 00:27:17.375
In Balkh, in Jalalabad, in Kunduz,
in Kandahar, in Herat
00:27:18.000 --> 00:27:20.791
There were cinemas everywhere
00:27:29.375 --> 00:27:33.083
At that time a new door opened
00:27:33.875 --> 00:27:39.041
It was a \"golden time\"
for Afghan cinema
00:27:41.541 --> 00:27:43.416
Hey, eunuch!
00:27:44.416 --> 00:27:45.458
Over here!
00:27:45.750 --> 00:27:48.833
Whoever wanted to
make a film came
00:27:49.125 --> 00:27:51.915
because they gave
people an outlet
00:27:51.916 --> 00:27:55.000
to make films that were
regime propaganda
00:27:55.375 --> 00:27:56.625
I\'m no eunuch!
00:27:56.791 --> 00:27:58.333
Show yourself!
00:27:59.708 --> 00:28:04.791
Everyone, whether
filmmakers or not
00:28:06.250 --> 00:28:11.375
they all started filmmaking
00:28:11.750 --> 00:28:16.000
And many of them made
very pointless
00:28:16.875 --> 00:28:19.958
unappealing, low level films
00:28:30.625 --> 00:28:33.708
Because cinema
requires resources
00:28:34.416 --> 00:28:39.583
most films produced at that time
00:28:40.083 --> 00:28:46.416
were funded by the government
00:28:47.333 --> 00:28:50.750
We could go so far as to say
some films
00:28:51.041 --> 00:28:54.916
were government propaganda
00:29:11.375 --> 00:29:13.583
Jalal Razmenda, who was
00:29:13.791 --> 00:29:18.041
the director of Intelligence
for the 5th District
00:29:18.458 --> 00:29:22.291
called me into his office one day
with Qader Farogh
00:29:22.708 --> 00:29:26.625
And said that they wanted us
to make a film
00:29:27.041 --> 00:29:30.750
about national security
00:29:32.041 --> 00:29:36.833
And specifically a film about
mujahideen groups
00:29:37.583 --> 00:29:43.208
and drug smuggling rings
00:29:49.333 --> 00:29:53.875
I think they gave me access
to a case file
00:29:54.291 --> 00:29:56.124
And I’m pretty sure
00:29:56.125 --> 00:29:59.875
I included elements from
their file in the film
00:30:25.250 --> 00:30:29.041
Our screenwriter worked for
the intelligence service
00:30:29.416 --> 00:30:33.416
and he had access to lots
of stories and cases
00:30:33.791 --> 00:30:38.333
And I’m sure the screenplay
was written such that
00:30:38.583 --> 00:30:42.541
entire scenes are
essentially documentaries
00:31:09.666 --> 00:31:12.874
\"Downfall\" was about
how the connection
00:31:12.875 --> 00:31:17.415
between drug smugglers
and Pakistani spies
00:31:17.416 --> 00:31:21.833
would lead to the destruction
of Afghanistan
00:31:22.500 --> 00:31:25.666
The intelligence agencies
would be destroyed
00:31:25.833 --> 00:31:27.041
We\'ll all fall
00:31:27.875 --> 00:31:32.708
That’s why the film
is called \"Downfall\"
00:31:38.833 --> 00:31:43.707
Some people might see
this as political
00:31:43.708 --> 00:31:47.583
or say the film was made to
benefit the regime
00:31:48.208 --> 00:31:54.333
But our intention was to truly
represent an intelligence war
00:32:06.458 --> 00:32:13.333
I had opinions that I even
expressed at the time
00:32:13.708 --> 00:32:18.500
\"Here, in this film you\'re
lying to the public\"
00:32:18.916 --> 00:32:21.875
\"And here you\'re telling
the truth\"
00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:40.125
We took from the realities
of our own lives
00:32:40.541 --> 00:32:43.665
It could be a little closer,
a little further
00:32:43.666 --> 00:32:46.333
but I\'m not the kind to
make something up
00:32:46.541 --> 00:32:49.208
I\'m not fond of fiction
00:32:54.583 --> 00:33:00.540
Whatever I’ve seen and sensed
I’ve put into my films
00:33:00.541 --> 00:33:05.666
Whatever was the truth,
whether sweet or bitter
00:33:06.041 --> 00:33:09.290
That\'s what I put on film
00:33:09.291 --> 00:33:12.791
And of course, you add
some dramatic flair
00:33:41.916 --> 00:33:46.083
At that time in Afghanistan,
we didn\'t have fight masters
00:33:46.541 --> 00:33:48.915
The director didn\'t step aside
00:33:48.916 --> 00:33:52.458
and have someone
orchestrate the fights
00:33:53.041 --> 00:33:55.999
The director did everything
00:33:56.000 --> 00:33:58.750
We did have some tricks
00:33:58.916 --> 00:34:01.625
For instance, when someone fell
00:34:01.791 --> 00:34:05.208
we put cardboard and
cushions below
00:34:05.416 --> 00:34:08.208
so when they fell they
didn\'t get hurt
00:34:08.791 --> 00:34:11.499
And we framed it so that
00:34:11.500 --> 00:34:14.500
the cardboard and cushions weren\'t seen
00:34:18.458 --> 00:34:20.665
When it was time to shoot
00:34:20.666 --> 00:34:23.999
we made sure everything
was very precise
00:34:24.000 --> 00:34:27.540
in order to avert tragedy
00:34:27.541 --> 00:34:32.333
But mistakes have been made
while shooting Afghan films
00:34:32.875 --> 00:34:36.625
For instance, there was
Rahmatullah Hostai
00:34:36.833 --> 00:34:39.875
He placed his actor
behind a wall
00:34:40.000 --> 00:34:43.749
He told that actor, \"When I say
\'Action\' lift up your head\"
00:34:43.750 --> 00:34:46.040
\"And then quickly duck
back down\"
00:34:46.041 --> 00:34:48.750
\"When you hear them fire,
raise your head again\"
00:34:48.833 --> 00:34:50.958
But when he yelled, \"Action!\"
00:34:51.166 --> 00:34:55.250
the actor stood up and was
shot in the head
00:34:55.500 --> 00:34:57.083
He died on the spot
00:35:14.125 --> 00:35:18.291
At that time, when we went
out to shoot
00:35:19.083 --> 00:35:22.583
the government would dispatch
00:35:23.041 --> 00:35:28.833
a security detail to go
with us on location
00:35:45.708 --> 00:35:49.375
We were shooting in Mahipar
00:35:49.666 --> 00:35:54.208
Had the mujahideen known
we were a film crew
00:35:54.541 --> 00:35:57.375
they wouldn\'t have shot at us
00:35:59.166 --> 00:36:07.166
They fired on us thinking
we were soldiers or spies
00:36:08.791 --> 00:36:12.958
So we sent one or two people up
00:36:13.250 --> 00:36:18.291
to make sure the mujahideen
were okay with our presence
00:36:18.708 --> 00:36:23.833
Then we could shoot in
that location for a few days
00:36:28.916 --> 00:36:30.958
Go to the commander
00:36:44.291 --> 00:36:48.291
In that film I was
playing a soldier
00:36:48.666 --> 00:36:51.666
I even had my head shaved
00:36:52.208 --> 00:36:54.166
We ran out of supplies
00:36:54.250 --> 00:36:57.750
So Faqir Nabi sent me on a bus
00:36:57.958 --> 00:37:01.041
And when we reached Sorkhakan
in Jalalabad
00:37:01.250 --> 00:37:04.624
a mujahid with a turban and gun
stopped the bus
00:37:04.625 --> 00:37:07.583
and saw my shaved head
00:37:07.916 --> 00:37:09.833
He told me to get out
00:37:13.166 --> 00:37:15.708
He asked me who I was and
what I was doing
00:37:15.958 --> 00:37:19.291
Obviously I couldn\'t say that
I was an actor in a film
00:37:19.416 --> 00:37:21.207
So I said \"I\'m a soldier\"
00:37:21.208 --> 00:37:23.708
\"I\'ve deserted from the army\"
00:37:23.875 --> 00:37:26.916
They asked me if it was true
00:37:27.166 --> 00:37:30.666
I said \"Yes, I\'m on my way home\"
00:37:31.000 --> 00:37:34.291
They said, \"Go\"
00:37:35.958 --> 00:37:38.874
When we played those roles
00:37:38.875 --> 00:37:45.375
we came to the attention
of enemies of the state
00:37:45.583 --> 00:37:50.958
For the opposition, clearly we were
the face of the state
00:37:57.625 --> 00:38:01.083
In mid-shoot, we came
under siege
00:38:01.416 --> 00:38:04.625
They said: ‘We won’t spare
a single man\"
00:38:04.916 --> 00:38:08.665
\"But bring us the two girls\"
00:38:08.666 --> 00:38:11.999
We were artists, no way they
would\'ve let us live
00:38:12.000 --> 00:38:16.166
But now they\'ll probably lie
00:39:08.541 --> 00:39:13.875
We worked in film out of
love and dedication
00:39:14.291 --> 00:39:17.333
But in terms of society
00:39:17.750 --> 00:39:19.916
Believe me
00:39:20.333 --> 00:39:24.666
Many Afghans think
this is inappropriate
00:39:24.791 --> 00:39:26.749
And in their eyes
00:39:26.750 --> 00:39:30.500
we are unbelievers, non-Muslims
00:39:30.833 --> 00:39:32.666
And an actress
00:39:32.916 --> 00:39:38.208
in the larger society\'s view
is equivalent to a prostitute
00:40:10.708 --> 00:40:17.500
Later on, when the political situation
started to open up
00:40:18.083 --> 00:40:25.041
and national reconciliation
became a prominent issue
00:40:25.708 --> 00:40:33.583
Slowly the cinema got better
and more open
00:40:34.041 --> 00:40:40.666
But there still wasn\'t really
any independent film
00:40:41.583 --> 00:40:48.666
and directors still couldn\'t cross
certain red lines
00:40:57.166 --> 00:40:59.958
Most films weren\'t banned or cut
00:41:00.166 --> 00:41:03.041
since we didn\'t make
political films
00:41:03.791 --> 00:41:07.625
And the government censored
films beforehand
00:41:07.791 --> 00:41:09.833
unlike today
00:41:25.583 --> 00:41:32.000
Back then, when someone
wanted to make a film
00:41:32.708 --> 00:41:38.333
five or six people would
review the script
00:41:38.666 --> 00:41:46.666
And whatever didn\'t fit their policies,
they would remove
00:41:49.708 --> 00:41:53.833
We would tell the filmmakers
00:41:54.166 --> 00:41:57.958
\"It\'s lacking in this section,
you must work on it\"
00:41:58.458 --> 00:42:02.291
or \"This is incorrect,
it\'s not factual\"
00:42:02.625 --> 00:42:06.375
What we wanted were things
that were close to the truth
00:42:20.291 --> 00:42:27.666
I spent so much time fighting
with the Soviet advisors
00:42:28.125 --> 00:42:34.916
Because I showed reality in my films
and they objected
00:42:35.250 --> 00:42:40.624
They\'d say \"This isn\'t true,
it\'s false, you\'re anti-Soviet\"
00:42:40.625 --> 00:42:43.249
\"You\'re making the
government look weak\"
00:42:43.250 --> 00:42:46.750
But the Afghan government
accepted our work
00:42:46.958 --> 00:42:50.791
Many times we screened films
here at Afghan Film
00:42:50.916 --> 00:42:55.583
The Afghan officials would say,
\"You\'re showing the truth\"
00:42:55.833 --> 00:42:59.415
But the Soviet advisor would
get up and yell at them
00:42:59.416 --> 00:43:02.416
that they knew nothing
about cinema
00:43:02.625 --> 00:43:06.458
And the society was in
such a state that
00:43:06.708 --> 00:43:10.875
they could have killed me
or thrown me in jail
00:43:22.416 --> 00:43:25.958
Of course, if you wanted to make
a political film
00:43:26.208 --> 00:43:28.499
the government would regulate it
00:43:28.500 --> 00:43:33.540
But if you wanted to make
a fiction film, they didn\'t care
00:43:33.541 --> 00:43:37.541
But no way would they let you make
a film that opposed them
00:43:40.708 --> 00:43:48.083
No one, nowhere can
catch a director
00:43:48.750 --> 00:43:54.583
A director will show you
one thing in his script
00:43:55.125 --> 00:44:02.791
but once he gets on set to shoot,
he does what he wants
00:44:10.208 --> 00:44:13.541
Artists who stayed
in Afghanistan
00:44:13.708 --> 00:44:17.833
clearly made sacrifices and
worked for the people
00:44:18.333 --> 00:44:22.666
They never accepted
pressure from above
00:44:22.916 --> 00:44:27.499
or allowed it to interfere
in their work
00:44:27.500 --> 00:44:30.958
They made their feelings known
00:44:31.208 --> 00:44:35.082
The government wasn’t
that strict anyway
00:44:35.083 --> 00:44:41.833
Everyone didn\'t have to accept
their plans or desires
00:44:42.541 --> 00:44:48.165
They knew if they pressured
us too much
00:44:48.166 --> 00:44:52.625
We too would leave the country
00:44:56.166 --> 00:45:02.540
If you didn\'t accept the regimes\'s
desires or propaganda
00:45:02.541 --> 00:45:04.790
you\'d be arrested
00:45:04.791 --> 00:45:08.375
Everyone in Afghanistan
knows this
00:45:22.500 --> 00:45:27.083
Cinema can work as a weapon
00:45:27.875 --> 00:45:35.208
for all political and
ideological regimes
00:45:35.750 --> 00:45:39.375
This has happened over and over
00:45:39.666 --> 00:45:42.415
Not only in Afghanistan
00:45:42.416 --> 00:45:47.708
Not only under the Afghan Communists
or Soviet occupation
00:46:07.541 --> 00:46:13.457
The Soviets knew cinema can
open doors and cross borders
00:46:13.458 --> 00:46:17.458
to gain attention worldwide
00:46:18.041 --> 00:46:22.082
We don’t have to go back far
to see their strategy
00:46:22.083 --> 00:46:29.540
In the 70-90 year existence
of the USSR
00:46:29.541 --> 00:46:33.875
We saw how they took over
the rest of Central Asia
00:46:34.333 --> 00:46:42.333
They used culture to get people
to embrace the USSR
00:46:43.000 --> 00:46:47.541
Afghanistan was supposed
to be part of that
00:46:48.541 --> 00:46:50.083
Believe me...
00:46:50.500 --> 00:46:57.833
you can\'t do as much damage
to the enemy with an F-16
00:46:59.166 --> 00:47:01.790
or other air power
00:47:01.791 --> 00:47:05.375
as you can with a
really good film
00:47:25.583 --> 00:47:33.458
Every regime has
its own strategies
00:47:35.583 --> 00:47:43.124
At that time, the government
felt they could implement
00:47:43.125 --> 00:47:48.458
their plans through culture
00:48:00.250 --> 00:48:07.000
Under the Communist regimes,
censorship relaxed
00:48:07.625 --> 00:48:14.291
but certain things, like nudity,
were still forbidden
00:48:15.166 --> 00:48:20.208
Because they knew
people would object
00:48:20.625 --> 00:48:23.249
They would rise up
00:48:23.250 --> 00:48:29.375
and they might even vandalize
or burn the cinemas
00:49:00.916 --> 00:49:07.333
The screenwriter considered
social realism
00:49:08.000 --> 00:49:13.333
and he wanted to show how
you lose yourself
00:49:13.750 --> 00:49:17.208
become Westernized
00:49:17.541 --> 00:49:23.125
and fall under the influence
of foreign cultures
00:49:23.666 --> 00:49:29.208
They\'re just copying a
ridiculous way of life
00:49:29.791 --> 00:49:33.875
even though in a
religious society
00:49:34.083 --> 00:49:38.500
people shouldn’t
behave like this
00:49:39.541 --> 00:49:47.500
We wanted to put aside people’s
beliefs and their religion
00:49:47.875 --> 00:49:52.541
and show what really took
place in our society
00:49:52.916 --> 00:49:57.625
We wanted to create a
place in the cinema
00:49:57.916 --> 00:50:05.583
for people who wanted a
different kind of freedom
00:50:14.708 --> 00:50:20.708
In Engineer Latif’s films,
like \"The Migrant Birds\"
00:50:22.000 --> 00:50:28.333
Things were said against the regime,
but in a concealed way
00:50:29.333 --> 00:50:32.541
You couldn’t say it outright
00:50:33.041 --> 00:50:34.916
Your film would be banned
00:50:35.250 --> 00:50:39.250
and you\'d be put
under investigation
00:50:49.625 --> 00:50:54.290
At the time, many families
were divided
00:50:54.291 --> 00:50:59.250
between different
political groups
00:50:59.583 --> 00:51:07.583
This political division
happened on all levels
00:51:09.666 --> 00:51:14.041
from family to society
00:51:14.625 --> 00:51:17.416
Today is very similar
00:51:17.666 --> 00:51:20.750
War still divides families
00:51:21.208 --> 00:51:25.458
They call each other ‘brother’ or
\'beloved, \' but still fight
00:51:31.666 --> 00:51:39.666
Clearly my film was
about reconciliation
00:51:42.125 --> 00:51:45.666
For instance, the two
brothers in the story
00:51:46.208 --> 00:51:53.875
One allied with the government,
one with the mujahideen
00:51:54.291 --> 00:51:57.958
These two brothers
become enemies
00:51:58.375 --> 00:52:02.125
But in the end, they all realize
00:52:02.541 --> 00:52:08.583
the nation can only reach peace
through reconciliation
00:52:08.875 --> 00:52:11.958
They come together
00:52:27.458 --> 00:52:32.708
Dr Najib announced directly
to the opposition
00:52:32.833 --> 00:52:36.332
\"I\'ll hand over the
government to you\"
00:52:36.333 --> 00:52:41.833
\"but not so you can turn Kabul
into a river of blood\"
00:52:42.500 --> 00:52:45.166
But that’s what happened
00:53:01.541 --> 00:53:09.541
It was 1991 when the mujahideen came
to Kabul and things got bad
00:53:15.500 --> 00:53:19.083
Now it\'s suicide bombs,
then it was rockets
00:53:19.375 --> 00:53:22.166
Rockets fell from all sides
00:53:22.375 --> 00:53:24.958
The beginning was like a jungle
00:53:25.250 --> 00:53:29.083
Everything was barbaric
00:53:33.625 --> 00:53:39.375
When the mujahideen came,
they brought a civil war
00:53:39.833 --> 00:53:44.958
and the fight for Kabul
caused mass destruction
00:53:45.416 --> 00:53:48.333
The situation became so bad
00:53:48.583 --> 00:53:53.000
that people missed their
previous situation
00:53:54.333 --> 00:54:00.833
I don’t know about later, but
what I saw in the first days
00:54:01.125 --> 00:54:05.750
was a disorder that
made people afraid
00:54:07.333 --> 00:54:12.958
You will even find some people
00:54:13.416 --> 00:54:21.416
who were completely against
Communist ideology
00:54:23.083 --> 00:54:29.208
but once they saw
what came after
00:54:30.333 --> 00:54:34.208
their mindset suddenly changed
00:54:42.250 --> 00:54:46.208
I thought to myself at the time
00:54:47.000 --> 00:54:54.416
A person like me can\'t survive
in this political climate
00:54:55.000 --> 00:54:59.416
It was very wild
00:55:00.291 --> 00:55:04.875
At night you\'d hear gunfire
00:55:05.458 --> 00:55:09.916
And I thought the cinema
00:55:10.458 --> 00:55:16.750
would not last long in
this environment
00:55:21.250 --> 00:55:25.916
So I got a visa and
went to India
00:55:32.250 --> 00:55:36.875
We started \"Wrong Way\" in 1989
00:55:37.333 --> 00:55:41.458
But unfortunately the
regime collapsed
00:55:41.750 --> 00:55:46.208
and I became a refugee
00:55:52.375 --> 00:55:59.250
Many people fled, leaving just
a small group at Afghan Film
00:55:59.541 --> 00:56:05.583
I locked the \"Agent\" footage
in a closet and left Afghanistan
00:56:06.000 --> 00:56:10.250
I went to Dushanbe as a cultural attaché
and then to Moscow
00:56:10.833 --> 00:56:13.541
But then I heard on the news
00:56:13.833 --> 00:56:18.125
that all the archives of Afghan Film
were taken away
00:56:18.458 --> 00:56:25.083
in seven containers and
burned in a public square
00:56:25.750 --> 00:56:29.415
It made me feel very hopeless
00:56:29.416 --> 00:56:33.832
because I\'d worked
so hard on \"Agent\"
00:56:33.833 --> 00:56:38.958
I never forgot this film
for one second of my life
00:56:39.291 --> 00:56:44.290
That report made me think of the
misfortune of \"Agent\"
00:56:44.291 --> 00:56:48.250
that it was left unfinished
and still burned
00:56:48.625 --> 00:56:51.000
It was devastating
00:56:57.416 --> 00:57:05.416
The Taliban destroyed
200 or 300 of our films
00:57:06.791 --> 00:57:09.708
But among the Taliban,
one called Nezami
00:57:10.041 --> 00:57:14.375
who still has a position
in Afghanistan now
00:57:14.666 --> 00:57:17.500
protected Afghan Film
00:57:17.750 --> 00:57:21.499
He stopped them from
destroying everything
00:57:21.500 --> 00:57:24.332
and said, \"If they ask for the key,\"
00:57:24.333 --> 00:57:26.916
\"I\'ll say it\'s lost\"
00:57:50.083 --> 00:57:56.541
So many noted filmmakers
have said to me
00:57:57.125 --> 00:58:01.625
\"You have such a powerful,
important subject\"
00:58:01.833 --> 00:58:05.416
\"Why was it left unfinished?\"
00:58:05.875 --> 00:58:08.832
But for 10 or 15 years
00:58:08.833 --> 00:58:12.500
we didn\'t have permission
to make this film
00:58:12.875 --> 00:58:18.458
Then Afghanistan\'s destruction
forced us all to flee
00:58:40.916 --> 00:58:46.665
If only the regime had let us
see the film through
00:58:46.666 --> 00:58:50.000
or even continued it
00:58:50.375 --> 00:58:54.333
They could have divided it
00:58:55.000 --> 00:58:58.790
and separated the truth
from the fiction
00:58:58.791 --> 00:59:01.624
Because we had footage
that reflected
00:59:01.625 --> 00:59:04.291
the reality of that moment
00:59:04.791 --> 00:59:09.457
If this reality were added
to other realities
00:59:09.458 --> 00:59:12.749
then the film could have
been completed
00:59:12.750 --> 00:59:16.166
But unfortunately
00:59:16.583 --> 00:59:22.750
they too were caught up in
the chaos of the day
00:59:23.291 --> 00:59:27.625
and they forgot to finish
00:59:35.958 --> 00:59:39.666
But if released in its
intended form
00:59:40.000 --> 00:59:44.000
I don\'t think many people
would\'ve accepted the film
00:59:44.333 --> 00:59:50.500
People were aware, they saw the
tragedies with their own eyes
00:59:50.958 --> 00:59:56.625
I doubt they would have
seen it as truth
01:00:10.541 --> 01:00:15.000
If it were possible to
finish the film now
01:00:15.541 --> 01:00:18.208
would you want to?
01:00:18.958 --> 01:00:23.583
There\'s only one possible way
01:00:24.583 --> 01:00:28.958
Farid Fayz is even older
than me now
01:00:29.791 --> 01:00:33.583
Qader Farogh, his
hand shakes now
01:00:33.916 --> 01:00:35.583
He\'s very sick
01:00:36.500 --> 01:00:42.125
Juwansher Haidary has
gained so much weight
01:00:42.458 --> 01:00:46.916
As for myself... my role
wasn\'t so important
01:00:47.375 --> 01:00:51.458
Adela Adeem, I don\'t
know where she is
01:00:51.791 --> 01:00:55.125
Poor Anwar, who played
a lead role, he died
01:00:55.375 --> 01:00:59.874
To make the same film with the
same actors after 25 years
01:00:59.875 --> 01:01:02.375
would be very hard
01:01:02.833 --> 01:01:07.999
We would need a way to link
the past to the present
01:01:08.000 --> 01:01:11.583
intellectually, in a new script
01:01:12.000 --> 01:01:14.374
We\'d have to compare
01:01:14.375 --> 01:01:18.416
past and present
intelligence wars
01:01:19.166 --> 01:01:23.125
To relate past drug smuggling
01:01:23.583 --> 01:01:26.249
to the addictions of today
01:01:26.250 --> 01:01:29.916
I don\'t see any other solution
01:01:41.083 --> 01:01:49.083
After the Taliban fell and the
interim government was announced
01:01:53.666 --> 01:01:58.583
I came back to Kabul
01:01:59.083 --> 01:02:06.208
The first place I went was the
second floor editing room
01:02:06.625 --> 01:02:12.500
and I saw that the cabinet
was still there
01:02:13.500 --> 01:02:16.458
I pulled it and saw
it was locked
01:02:16.958 --> 01:02:20.125
I pulled it again and
the lock opened
01:02:20.500 --> 01:02:26.000
It opened, and I saw that
all of \"Agent\" was still there
01:02:26.333 --> 01:02:32.750
negatives and audio reels
in their metal canisters
01:02:33.541 --> 01:02:38.375
You can\'t imagine how
happy I was
01:02:38.708 --> 01:02:46.458
I must have passed out, I was
delirious from happiness
01:02:47.083 --> 01:02:53.041
Because what I thought had died
was alive before my eyes
01:03:27.541 --> 01:03:32.583
I think that at the time, the government
was saying:
01:03:33.000 --> 01:03:38.750
\"Whatever you want from me, just ask and
I\'ll give it to you\"
01:03:39.083 --> 01:03:41.166
\"But you have to be with me\"
01:03:41.375 --> 01:03:43.665
Now it\'s like the
government says:
01:03:43.666 --> 01:03:47.249
\"Whatever you want to do or say, go ahead\"
01:03:47.250 --> 01:03:50.375
\"But I can’t give you anything in return\"
01:03:50.916 --> 01:03:53.958
This is my analysis
01:04:18.791 --> 01:04:21.041
In that time of war
01:04:21.666 --> 01:04:27.166
they gave homes in Macrorayan
to actors and filmmakers
01:04:27.583 --> 01:04:34.500
But now, when I walk around town,
people yell \"Uncle!\"
01:04:34.875 --> 01:04:38.833
because in the film \"Anjam\"
I played an uncle
01:04:39.125 --> 01:04:42.541
People mock me
01:04:42.916 --> 01:04:49.625
I hang my head and get back
on my bicycle
01:04:54.500 --> 01:04:56.666
No, Kareem
01:04:57.875 --> 01:05:00.041
I said shoot!
01:05:03.833 --> 01:05:06.000
Kill me!
01:05:08.583 --> 01:05:11.083
If you don\'t kill me,
I\'ll kill you!
01:05:15.375 --> 01:05:17.541
Shoot!
01:05:35.500 --> 01:05:39.540
I felt like that film would
be part of history
01:05:39.541 --> 01:05:46.250
and if history records your name,
that\'s very meaningful
01:05:46.583 --> 01:05:52.541
Even after death it has value
if you work on such a film
01:05:53.000 --> 01:06:01.000
It pains me that this work
was never seen
01:06:06.000 --> 01:06:11.083
Cinema can change the
politics of a nation
01:06:11.750 --> 01:06:16.041
A teacher can teach maybe
20 students per class
01:06:16.416 --> 01:06:20.708
A film can teach an
entire country
01:06:30.875 --> 01:06:33.582
At that time they knew
01:06:33.583 --> 01:06:38.041
if you make a really good feature film or
documentary
01:06:38.666 --> 01:06:43.125
It affects both the enemy
and the people
01:06:49.875 --> 01:06:54.332
In Afghanistan, artists have
neither popular
01:06:54.333 --> 01:06:57.583
nor government support
01:06:58.000 --> 01:07:03.082
Only the people\'s support can better
their place in society
01:07:03.083 --> 01:07:07.457
The government can\'t protect them
from the angry fists
01:07:07.458 --> 01:07:11.083
of those against art and culture
01:07:27.416 --> 01:07:30.040
From the time of the mujahideen
01:07:30.041 --> 01:07:32.957
until today, with
ISIS and Taliban
01:07:32.958 --> 01:07:37.083
they are enemies of film,
\"the Great Satan\"
01:07:38.166 --> 01:07:41.832
They say \"You\'re fooling people
through film\"
01:07:41.833 --> 01:07:49.833
If the Taliban catch us,
they will rip us to pieces
01:07:58.791 --> 01:08:01.500
Look at the place of
art in Afghanistan
01:08:01.750 --> 01:08:05.791
Look at the opposition art faces
01:08:08.708 --> 01:08:14.125
But this is my country and
I want to stay here
01:08:14.500 --> 01:08:17.958
and work in film until I die
01:08:18.291 --> 01:08:23.166
All I want is for people to
acknowledge and value
01:08:23.500 --> 01:08:28.958
the artists who work in cinema
01:08:30.833 --> 01:08:35.374
Or we\'ll be left with the same
01:08:35.375 --> 01:08:39.541
Taliban and ISIS all over again
