Under the Taliban it was illegal to watch films in Afghanistan, let alone make them. This week, the country is celebrating its recovering film industry with its first ever Women's Film Festival, held in the northwestern city of Herāt.
The festival, which marks International Women's Day, includes 30 films from 20 countries, all made by women. Attending the event, Sediq Barmat, director of Golden Globe winner Osama, said that she sees it as an important chance to forge new connections. Men and women watching the films were not separated but could sit wherever they liked, itself challenging in a country where strong views about gender-appropriate behaviour still predominate. Many Afghans still see it as disreputable for women to appear onscreen, sometimes equating acting with prostitution, but female filmmakers at the festival believe this will change as going to the cinema becomes more commonplace.
Alongsde the screenings at the festival, workshops are being held to share technical skills and to discuss some of the issues raised by the films. The organisers hope to make this an annual event.
