Kandahar: desperation and hope

By Victoria Goodman

IMAGINE that you are an Afghan girl of school age. Years ago, your family fled Afghanistan, because of devastating warfare and the brutal rule of the Taliban regime.

Along with other families, you are returning home from Iran. The land that you will pass through is littered with landmines. You are warned not to pick up any of the pretty dolls that are scattered on the ground; they are booby traps, and will maim or kill you.

You are also told that you will no longer be able to go to school; education for girls is forbidden under the Taliban. However, you are reassured that "if the walls are high, the skies are higher still -- and the world will see your troubles, and they will help you."

This is one of the most powerful scenes in Kandahar, which recently premiered at the 2001 Vancouver International Film Festival.

Iranian filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf directed, produced and wrote the screenplay. His captivating film depicts the day-to-day life of Afghan refugees, people who transcend the most unimaginable suffering with courage, grace, dignity and even humour.

The screenplay is based, in part, on the story of Nelofer Pazira, the lead actress. She plays Nafas, a reporter who goes undercover wearing a burka, the head-to-toe dress that all women are required to wear in Afghanistan. We see the oppression of women through the barred window of Nafas' veil, as she travels to Kandahar to prevent her sister -- a landmine victim -- from killing herself.

With millions of refugees now fleeing the U.S. bombing of Afghanistan, facing likely starvation and a harsh winter, Kandahar's message is all too timely. The film is a cry of desperation; but it is also hopeful, portraying people who have not given up, and who faithfully pray that God will help them.

Kandahar won the Ecumenical Jury Prize at this year's Cannes Film Festival. It will be released in Vancouver this month.