Afghan Relief Screenings: Far From Afghanistan + The Fruit of Our Labor Shorts [Hybrid]
Sat Dec 11: 4.00pm PT, 7.00pm PT
Online
Sat Dec 11: 4:00pm - Sun Dec 19: 11:59pm PT
In-Person:
$17 Double Bill: Far From Afghanistan + Shorts – General Admission
$13 Double Bill: Far From Afghanistan + Shorts – Member/Student/Senior
$10 Far From Afghanistan Only, 4pm
$10 Fruits of Our Labor Shorts Only, 7pm
Online:
$10 Double Bill: Far From Afghanistan + Shorts – General Admission
Your ticket receipt will contain viewing information for the program, watch on demand any time between Dec. 11, 4:00pm – Dec. 12, 11:59pm PT.
All ticket sales from this event benefit Community Supported Film’s Afghan Evacuation & Resettlement Fund
⚠️ Public safety notice ⚠️
NWFF patrons will be required to wear face coverings while in the building. To be admitted, patrons ages 12+ will also be required to present EITHER proof of COVID-19 vaccination OR a negative result from a COVID-19 test administered within the last 48 hours by an official testing facility.
NWFF is adapting to evolving recommendations to protect the public from COVID-19. Read more about their policies regarding cleaning, masks, and capacity limitations here.
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Far From Afghanistan contains accounts of violence, drone warfare, and references to self-harm.
About
It is the 10th anniversary of Community Supported Film’s distribution of the films made by Afghans during our training project, The Fruit of Our Labor – Afghan Perspectives in Film.
It is also the 20th anniversary of the American war in Afghanistan which has ended with the collapse of the Afghan government and the takeover by the Taliban.
Community Supported Film’s (CSFilm) vision is driven by the knowledge that peace, prosperity and democracy depend on a well-informed citizenry. Their mission is to help citizens make responsible decisions about their community, country and world by providing access to stories rooted in local perspectives.
Urgent Help needed to Evacuate and Resettle Afghan Filmmakers & Families: Since Before the fall of Kabul on August 15th, life has turned into a terrifying scramble for millions in Afghanistan, including the people Community Supported Film (CSFilm) works with. We are working night and day to get them out of the country. To assist these families we have established the Afghan Evacuation & Resettlement Fund. In normal circumstances, any initiative that contributes to the brain drain of a country is anathema to the foundation of our work. In this case, however, we will do everything possible to save and rebuild our colleagues’ lives.
Program:
4pm: Far From Afghanistan
An omnibus film by five American filmmakers and a collective of young Afghan media journalists, Far From Afghanistan forms a mosaic of cinematic approaches to take a critical look at the longest overseas war in U.S. history. Inspired by the 1967 collaborative film Loin du Vietnam, Far From Afghanistan likewise unites a variety of filmmakers, cinematographers, editors and technicians in the international effort to redirect U.S. policy away from military and political intervention toward true humanitarian and developmental care-giving as invited.
(John Gianvito, Jon Jost, Minda Martin, Travis Wilkerson & Soon-Mi Yoo, US, 2012, 120 min, in English or subtitled in English)
“…an experimental, esoteric, genius of a film.” – Michael Moore
“…brilliant, poetic and cold as it should be. I was blown away by it, and by the relentlessness of its exploration.” – Fanny Howe
“Radically free in form, bracing in its outrage, and incisive in its perception of the toll war takes on its victims, its participants, and on society as a whole…” – Anthology Film Archives
7pm: Short Film Program + Discussion
The films of The Fruit of Our Labor: Afghan Perspectives in Film bring to life Afghan’s efforts to address their challenging social and economic conditions and provide a fresh perspective on the needs and issues of Afghans beyond the relentless battlefront coverage of western media.
The last names of Afghan filmmakers and images of those still in the country have been removed due to the increasing insecurity in the country.
Story 4: The Road Above
(Aqeela, 5:49 min)
It is estimated that out of 28 million Afghans, 1 million are addicted to heroin. Mona tried once to get her husband into treatment, but he escaped and she hasn’t seen him since. Now she works street construction, but does the manual labor wearing a burqa to protect the honor of her family.
Story 3: Hands of Health
(Zarah, 11:37 min)
The maternity clinic has been built but there are no doctors and no medical equipment. Who’s to blame, the Ministry of Health or the Men’s Development Council? The Women’s Council handed over their National Solidarity Program funds to the men when they agreed to build a maternity clinic. But with it still not open pregnant woman like Farida continue to make the long trip to Kabul to get medicine and medical advice, including birth control. After ten kids, the father thinks it might be time to stop having children – but says it’s in the hands of God.
Story 5: Opening the Door of Time
(Wahid, 5:24 min)
A former Mujahedeen fighter returns to teach at the village school where his father taught. He lives what he teaches: that each of us is responsible to use the time we are given wisely. He’s leading the village development council and trying to build a new school. For many fighters, giving up their gun meant giving up an income and a position of power and respect. Can Afghan government initiatives, like the National Solidarity Program, provide employment and leadership opportunities for men that instill similar pride in the rebuilding of their communities?
Story 6: Bearing the Weight
(Mona, 12:05 min)
Not long after marrying at twenty-one, Shafiqa lost her husband, her newly born daughter, and her leg in a rocket attack. The war in Afghanistan has left some 700,000 disabled. Many – especially disabled women and children – are hidden from view, trapped by their culture. Can Shafiqa overcome the “paralysis of her soul” and find a way to take care of herself and her two sons?
Story 10: Death to the Camera
(Qasem, 20:06 min)
A camera moves among women working their last day on a job site. As they joke and fight – accusing each other of being prostitutes, liars, and racists – the mood repeatedly shifts between belly laughs and rage. The women are left waiting for hours for their pay by the charity that administers the cash-for-work program. As they wait, they consider what debts they’ll pay off, what food they’ll buy, and how they’ll stay warm during the approaching winter. There is lively discussion about what happens to all the aid that never reaches them, and whether Karzai is a crook or a servant of the people. Is the camera revealing anything truthful, or simply inciting these women to present what they think ‘the other’ wants to hear – or what might get them something from the world on the other side of the camera? Who is on the other side of that camera anyway?