Timing can work in one of two ways and in the case of film releases in the
days following September 11th 2001 it either worked for or against you. A
number of films including "Big Trouble", "Sidewalks of New York" and
"Collateral Damage" which had their release dates in the weeks to follow
were pushed back to avoid due to the sensitive nature of their subject
matter. However there was one film that no doubt had it's international
profile raised because of 9/11. The film was "Kandahar" which had made it's
debut at the Toronto International Film Festival just a few days
prior. "Kandahar" is the capitol city of Afghanistan and the film's
subject matter deals with life under the Taliban government and a woman on
a quest to the capitol. The film was there to fill a void where as up until
that point very little was known about the plight of the people of
Afghanistan. Suddenly Mohsen Makhmalbaf's small feature film was under the
limelight of film critics and movie goers everywhere. The film became so
popular locally that the theater had to add 2 additional show times per day
in addition to their regular schedule to accommodate crowds. Despite all
the press and attention the film was getting I didn't manage to see it
during it's theatrical run which is something I'm glad I can fix now that
the film is out on DVD.
"Kandahar" is the story of Nefas (Nelofer Pazira) a journalist who was born
in Afghanistan but fled the country a number of years back with her family
in order to live a better life in Canada. Although Nefas managed to make it
out unharmed her sister was injured during the journey by a land mine which
caused her to lose her legs and thus ending her chances of escape. It's
been over a decade since Nefas last saw her sister though they have been in
touch through letters. As the film opens Nefas has received a troubling
letter stating that her sister has reached the end of her rope with the
political climate and plans to take her own life. This upsets Nefas greatly
and she decides to make the dangerous journey to Kandahar to try and
prevent her sister from committing suicide. Under the cover of a burka (the
head to toe garment worn by Muslim women) and with time against working
against her she sets out on a long walk through the deserts of Iran. Along
the way she is joined by various guides including Khak (Sadou Teymouri) a
young boy whom she pays 50 American dollars, a man desperate to sell
prosthetic legs and an American solider turned medical doctor (Hassan Tanti).
The story told in "Kandahar" is based in part on a similar journey taken by
the film's star Nelofer Pazira who only a year or so before production on
the film began attempted to enter Afghanistan on her own when she learned
that her childhood friend was determined to take her own life at the next
solar eclipse. Although Nelofer was unable to make it to the capitol city
due to the increasing military and government pressures she did agree to
have her story told by Mohsen Makhmalbaf. The remaining influences and
segments of the film come from Makhmalbaf's experiences on a preproduction
trip to Afghanistan. The events portrayed in the film look and feel real
and don't seem to have been overly dramatized for the screen.
In addition to the main story the film also focuses on three major aspects
of daily life for the people of Afghanistan . These are the tribe system,
hunger and poverty and land mines which are the three leading causes of
death in the war torn country. The conditions in which these people live
their lives is quite shocking and I'm thankful that I don't have to worry
about the food I eat, the water I drink or where I step but for these
people that is a normal part of their everyday routine just like as
checking my email and surfing the net is a normal part of my day. There's
relatively little danger in the Western world and by viewing this film it
makes the little hardships I endure from day to day seem trivial. I don't
know anyone whose had their legs or arms blown off in a land mine
explosion, nor do I know anyone suffers from Malaria or malnutrition and
aside from the occasional water warning the need to boil drinking water is
never something I have to worry about. The cultural differences are also
alarming as women are forbidden to be seen in public. This is in stark
contrast to North American life where women can and do show off an alarming
amount of skin.
For this feature director Mohsen Makhmalbaf assembled a cast made up
entirely of regular citizens with no prior acting experience. This approach
defines the performances in that they are all of a varied level of quality.
Obviously the inhabitants of these remote dessert areas will not have had
access to acting workshops or even films but their lack of acting
experience works in their favour as they come across as real people as
opposed to actors simply playing parts. Nelofer Pazira whose Nefas narrates
the story shows some promise as an actress and has no problem carrying
herself on screen but this can be attributed to how close she is to the
material.
Director Mohsen Makhmalbaf is the best known director to come out of the
country of Iran where he was born in 1951. He has been involved in the
writing and directing of over 20 films "Kandahar" is the first film to
gain international recognition for the director which will hopefully lead
to wider audiences for his next feature. In his films he has tried to focus
on telling personal stories within his home country of Iran. "Kandahar" is
his second feature to explore Afghanistan and is sort of a monumental film
in that production of the film was done entirely in Iran near the
Iran/Afghanistan border just mere miles from Taliban controlled terrain.
Makhmalbaf does an excellent job of telling this young woman's tale in the
forefront while still commenting on the political state of the country. It
isn't a particularly daring effort in terms of overall story and structure
so much as just a simple tale told in a place where life is anything but
simple His direction is strong and his use of a number of establishing
long shots fits the struggle and epic nature of journey well. He keeps
things moving by introducing interesting roadblocks and characters so that
while the film's protagonist is constantly just travelling through the
dessert it never seems as if things are standing still. On the flip side
there isn't a great deal of character development and aside from the most
basic information we don't learn much at all about the events that caused
Nefas and her family to flee the country. I would have preferred to have a
bit more of the back story surrounding that event as well as more on the
current political state of the country. I will say that Makhmalbaf does the
right thing by keeping the sister character off the screen.
All in all "Kandahar" is a film that's come into the International
spotlight due to the tragic events of 9/11. It's not a perfect look at the
country of Afghanistan but it's does do a good job of telling a basic story
set in and around the hardships that the people face on a day to day
basis. The main character of Nefas is not a particularly strong lead and
her story while tragic in it's own right is only the framework for this
tale of the problematic existence of these people. Director Mohsen
Makhmalbaf crafts an interesting and informative look at a country whose
problems were flying just underneath the radar. While I have some minor
reservations with the film it's still a must see or anyone interested in
learning more about Afghanistan. Recommended.
