Daily Sabah logo

Politics
Diplomacy Legislation War On Terror EU Affairs Elections News Analysis
TÜRKİYE
Istanbul Education Investigations Minorities Expat Corner Diaspora
World
Mid-East Europe Americas Asia Pacific Africa Syrian Crisis Islamophobia
Business
Automotive Economy Energy Finance Tourism Tech Defense Transportation News Analysis
Lifestyle
Health Environment Travel Food Fashion Science Religion History Feature Expat Corner
Arts
Cinema Music Events Portrait Reviews Performing Arts
Sports
Football Basketball Motorsports Tennis
Opinion
Columns Op-Ed Reader's Corner Editorial
PHOTO GALLERY
JOBS ABOUT US RSS PRIVACY CONTACT US
© Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2023

Daily Sabah logo

عربي
  • Politics
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • Elections
    • News Analysis
  • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Expat Corner
    • Diaspora
  • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • Islamophobia
  • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
  • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
  • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Reviews
    • Performing Arts
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
  • Gallery
  • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
  • TV
  • Arts
  • Cinema
  • Music
  • Events
  • Portrait
  • Reviews
  • Performing Arts

Afghan directors at Venice cry for help against loss of culture

by Associated Press

VENICE Sep 06, 2021 - 10:53 am GMT+3
(L-R) Matthijs Wouter Knol, Sahraa Karimi, Sarah Mani, Orwa Nyrabia, Vanja Kaludjercic and Mike Downey pose during the Venice Film Festival, in Venice, Italy, Sept. 4, 2021. (AP Photo)
(L-R) Matthijs Wouter Knol, Sahraa Karimi, Sarah Mani, Orwa Nyrabia, Vanja Kaludjercic and Mike Downey pose during the Venice Film Festival, in Venice, Italy, Sept. 4, 2021. (AP Photo)
by Associated Press Sep 06, 2021 10:53 am
RECOMMENDED
Harpist Merve Kocabeyler. (Photo courtesy of Yapı Kredi Bomontiada)

Istanbul's 'HAPPENIN' with you' concert to interpret classical music

happenin-with-you

"Imagine a country without artists!" Such was the plea of Afghan filmmakers who fled the Taliban in a moving testimony over the weekend at the Venice Film Festival, with two female directors urging the world not to forget the people of Afghanistan and its artists, warning that a country that loses its culture is doomed to lose its identity.

The Venice Film Festival organized a panel discussion Saturday to give a platform to Sahraa Karimi, the first female president of the Afghan Film Organization, and documentary filmmaker Sahra Mani, who is presenting a project at the Venice film market fair.

Karimi choked up while telling reporters about her own escape – in which she had just hours to decide whether to stay or leave – and all that had been lost after the Taliban completed their takeover of the country.

She cited numerous films that were in pre-and-post production, filmmaking workshops that had been organized, insurance policies negotiated for equipment and said that Afghan directors were increasingly being welcomed at international film festivals. Karimi herself had presented a film at the Venice Film Festival in 2019.

Directors Sahraa Karimi (L) and Sarah Mani pose at the photo call for the “International panel on Afghanistan and the situation of Afghan filmmakers and artists” at the 78th Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Sept. 4, 2021. (AP Photo)
Directors Sahraa Karimi (L) and Sarah Mani pose at the photo call for the “International panel on Afghanistan and the situation of Afghan filmmakers and artists” at the 78th Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Sept. 4, 2021. (AP Photo)

"It was our dream to change the narrative of Afghanistan, because we were tired of those cliches about Afghanistan," she said. "We wanted to produce films, movies and to tell our stories from different angles, from different perspectives, to show the beauty of our country."

But she said all of that has been lost, and that the country's burgeoning filmmaking community had either fled or gone into hiding, with its archives now under Taliban control.

"Imagine a country without artists, a country without filmmakers, how can they defend its identity?" Karimi asked. "Maybe we are not politically ambassadors, but we are ambassadors for our stories, we are ambassadors of our identity.

"We are those people that represent our identity to the world, through our films, through our music, through our creative works. But we are now homeless."

She said she decided to flee on the morning of Aug. 15, with just a few hours to make "the most difficult decision of your life: stay or leave."

She said many of Afghanistan's youngest and brightest left too, but said thousands more promising filmmakers couldn't get out and are now erasing their social media presence for their own safety and going underground.

Mani said even under the corrupt rule of Afghanistan's ousted government, she had remained despite the daily security risks and everyday hassles – electricity cuts, internet outages – because she wanted to rebuild the country and restart its cultural life.

"We stayed. We were optimists," she said. But with the Taliban takeover, "it means we don't have anything to fight for. We lost everything."

RECOMMENDED
Harpist Merve Kocabeyler. (Photo courtesy of Yapı Kredi Bomontiada)

Istanbul's 'HAPPENIN' with you' concert to interpret classical music

happenin-with-you
  • shortlink copied
  • Last Update: Sep 06, 2021 12:26 pm
    RELATED TOPICS
    fight-against-terrorism DEUTSCHE-BANK US-LIBYA-RELATIONS
    KEYWORDS
    arts cinema venice film festival afghanistan afghan crisis taliban afghan culture
    The Daily Sabah Newsletter
    Keep up to date with what’s happening in Turkey, it’s region and the world.
    You can unsubscribe at any time. By signing up you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
    People walk past a shop advertising sales in Istanbul, Türkiye, Jan. 19, 2023. (Reuters Photo)

    Turkish inflation eases further from peak ahead of crucial elections

    consumer-prices
    The U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze anchors in the Bosporus, in Istanbul, Türkiye, Feb. 3, 2023. (Reuters Photo)

    US envoy hails ties with Türkiye from aboard warship in Bosporus

    USS-NITZE

    Türkiye ready to support Serbia-Kosovo dialogue process: Erdoğan

    türkiye-kosovo-relations

    Over 200 flights cancelled in Istanbul due to expected snowstorm

    snowstorm
    No Image
    Hong Kong's COVID toll leads some to eco-friendlier coffins
    PHOTOGALLERY
    • POLITICS
    • Diplomacy
    • Legislation
    • War On Terror
    • EU Affairs
    • News Analysis
    • TÜRKİYE
    • Istanbul
    • Education
    • Investigations
    • Minorities
    • Diaspora
    • World
    • Mid-East
    • Europe
    • Americas
    • Asia Pacific
    • Africa
    • Syrian Crisis
    • İslamophobia
    • Business
    • Automotive
    • Economy
    • Energy
    • Finance
    • Tourism
    • Tech
    • Defense
    • Transportation
    • News Analysis
    • Lifestyle
    • Health
    • Environment
    • Travel
    • Food
    • Fashion
    • Science
    • Religion
    • History
    • Feature
    • Expat Corner
    • Arts
    • Cinema
    • Music
    • Events
    • Portrait
    • Performing Arts
    • Reviews
    • Sports
    • Football
    • Basketball
    • Motorsports
    • Tennis
    • Opinion
    • Columns
    • Op-Ed
    • Reader's Corner
    • Editorial
    • Photo gallery
    • Jobs
    • privacy
    • about us
    • contact us
    • RSS
    © Turkuvaz Haberleşme ve Yayıncılık 2021