Taliban who? Afghan filmmakers brave off-screen dramas | csmonitor.com - 0 views
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In the war-torn countryside, a maiden finds her path blocked by a group of threatening men. But a woman from a nearby village suddenly jumps between the men and their victim. The men laugh at this ordinary peasant's attempt at a rescue. Alas for them, this is no common peasant: It's Feroza! The undercover cop saves the day with some back flips and well-placed karate moves – all without smudging her eyeliner. It's a scene from the movie "Najat," a recent title in the growing catalog of Afghan films that questions everything from gender roles to political corruption. Some filmmakers are braving death threats to bring such issues to the big screen, and they hope to change the way Afghans think. "I want to show that I am powerful," says Saba Sahar, who directed the film and starred as Feroza. "I want to convince all Afghan women that they are powerful."
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"We are trying to teach Afghans about their rights," he says. "There is no democracy here. The government and police take advantage of the people all the time."
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Art should not only challenge your own personal growth, but unjust social conditions. As one filmmaker says, "We are trying to teach Afghans about their rights," he says. "There is no democracy here. The government and police take advantage of the people all the time."