For most of us, Afghanistan is not synonymous with film culture.
Ariel Nasr’s documentary, Forbidden Reel, sets out to change that.
With a cultural legacy of decades of creative filmmaking, Afghan filmmakers, driven to create art in the midst of war and chaos, confront the efforts of Taliban extremists who are set on literally torching that legacy.
This is the fascinating story of the struggle to thwart the Taliban’s efforts to burn the entirety of the country’s “un-Islamic” film history which are contained in original reels at the Archives of Afghan Film, a state-sponsored national film body. Through the stories of two important filmmakers, one Taliban, the other anti-Taliban, we learn how this film history was rescued from destruction.
Forbidden Reel can be seen at the World Community Film Festival, which runs virtually from Feb. 5-13.
For tickets and a full program guide, visit worldcommunity.ca/film-festival