Afghan cinema

Afghan soccer star "Nadia"

From child refugee to professional footballer

The documentary "Nadia" tells the incredible story of Nadia Nadim, who was forced to flee from the Taliban as a child and became a football star. By Annabelle Steffes-Halmer
The future of Afghan cinema

"The best revenge is to keep making films"

Three award-winning female directors appeal to the international film industry to save Afghan cinema. Supporting women filmmakers is more important than ever. By Christine Lehnen
Afghanistan documentary "Melting Dreams"

A tale of Afghan-European failure

Haidy Kancler’s documentary "Melting Dreams" celebrated its world premiere at the Thessaloniki Film Festival in February 2022. The film follows the fortunes of three young female skiers from Afghanistan who travel to Europe for professional training. Their hopes are running high, but the trip ends in disaster. Rene Wildangel reports for Qantara.de
Berlin's Human Rights Film Festival

"Captains of Zaatari" – the unshakeable power of dreams

Berlin's annual Human Rights Film Festival closed at the weekend. One entry to the festival was the documentary "Captains of Zaatari". Its Egyptian director Ali El Arabi focuses on young refugees from Syria, who dream of escaping their dismal life in the Zaatari refugee camp with the help of football. Rene Wildangel reports for Qantara.de
Human Rights Film Festival Berlin – raising awareness
Human Rights Film Festival Berlin – raising awareness

This year's HRFFB returned as a hybrid on- & offline festival. For 10 days, the festival showcased stories from all over the world, addressing and reflecting on human action, the socio-political status quo and fundamental issues such as democracy, justice, freedom and environmental protection.
10 films about Afghanistan

The country's tumultuous history has served as the backdrop of many international films. From "Kandahar" to "The Kite Runner", here is a selection. By Elizabeth Grenier
Interview with filmmaker Mariam Ghani

The power of propaganda

In "What We Left Unfinished", Afghan-Lebanese-American filmmaker Mariam Ghani discusses the forgotten era of Afghan Communism and its ties to arts, culture and propaganda. Interview by Emran Feroz
Berlinale 2019: Hassan Faziliʹs "Midnight Traveler"

That our voices wonʹt be silenced

Threatened with death by the Taliban, director Hassan Fazili fled to Europe with his family, filming their odyssey on his mobile phone. Itʹs not the first time that the refugee trek to Europe has been documented, yet the result is a film that not only serves as a political chronicle of our time, but is also a work of art. By Rene Wildangel
Afghan director Salim Shaheen

Master of dreams

Making films in a country that has been torn apart by years of war and occupation is truly a tall order, but this is what Salim Shaheen has done – over 100 times. For many, Shaheen is Afghanistan's answer to Steven Spielberg. A new documentary shines a spotlight on the zero-budget filmmaker and his films. By Jochen Kurten