On Saturday I had the pleasure of hearing Michael Sheridan introduce four short documentaries from Afghanistan. The evening was entitled The Fruit of Our Labor– Afghan Perspectives in Film. Produced and designed by Afghan men and women, the films are rooted in current realities, exploring issues rarely seen in the west. The vignettes we saw showed the efforts of one woman to create a girls’ schools in her neighborhood, the dynamics of a community run bakery (think Afghan Co-Op), the disparity of two neighboring villages – one with a water source – the other without, and the devastating impact on one family of a husband who succumbed to drugs .
These films are the result of the wonderful idea called community supported film in Afghanistan. The project trains local men and women in Afghanistan in video-journalism and documentary filmmaking. In addition to helping support/train/equip a community of artists in Afghanistan, the films will be used to better influence local and international views on Afghan priorities for a more peaceful and equitable future.
You can find clips from the documentaries here.
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