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Festival coverage

Afghan Film Festival

2009

Buddha Collapsed Out Of Shame is among the films screening
Buddha Collapsed Out Of Shame is among the films screening

Subtitled 'The Great Game', a name applied by Rudyard Kipling to the military conflicts which took place over strategically important Afghanistan, this festival looks at how centuries of war have affected the country's people and their culture, but it also celebrates the energy and diversity of Afghan life. It includes nine film premieres, plus several visits by leading Afghan directors keen to talk to audiences about their work.

View complete schedule

Box office and information

Latest reviews

  • The Boy Who Plays On The Buddhas Of Bamiyan
    Review preview for The Boy Who Plays On The Buddhas Of Bamiyan

    Alien subjects do require human angles to connect with viewers, and this film manages it well.

    James Benefield · 3.5 out of 5
    An optimistic documentary following a refugee family who live in a cave besides the ruins of the giant Buddha statues blown up by the Taliban.
  • Cabal In Kabul
    Review preview for Cabal In Kabul

    It’s hard to tell whether the subjects’ playful bickering is either toned down or accentuated for our sake.

    James Benefield · 2 out of 5
    A documentary about life in Afghanistan.
  • Kabuli Kid
    Review preview for Kabuli Kid

    Both a straight forward narrative and a metaphor for a country whose future is as easily damaged as the abandoned child.

    Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
    A Kabul taxi driver finds himself looking after an abandoned baby.
  • Afghan Star
    Review preview for Afghan Star

    Although not breaking new ground in terms of the way it is shot and edited, this is a compelling story and features some excellent archive footage.

    Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
    Four hopefuls compete to become pop idols in post-Taliban Afghanistan.
  • Buddha Collapsed Out Of Shame
    Review preview for Buddha Collapsed Out Of Shame

    Although this film has got a very serious point to make, Hana Makhalbaf has an enviable lightness of touch and always remembers to keep the story front and centre.

    Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
    A little girl's attempt to go to school reveals the plight of many in modern Afghanistan.
  • Joy Of Madness
    Review preview for Joy Of Madness

    It provides some compelling insights into the fear and distrust still prevalent in post-Taliban Afghanistan.

    David Haviland · 1.5 out of 5
    Fourteen-year-old Iranian girl shoots a documentary about the making of a film in Afghanistan.
  • In This World
    Review preview for In This World

    If you have ever been lost in a foreign land, you may recognise the feeling of fear and isolation.

    Angus Wolfe Murray · 4 out of 5
    Docudramatic journey of two Afghan refugees from the Pakistan border to London.
  • Kandahar
    Review preview for Kandahar

    This is a film that sidesteps convention. There is no ending, no beginning. There is the journey.

    Angus Wolfe Murray · 4 out of 5
    A woman returns to Afghanistan to save her suicidal sister.