OLYMPIC AFGHAN RUNNER

SCRIPT

Location

Voice over / character

Time in

Time out

Script

00'00"00

1'59"14

Bars and tones

1'59"15

2'06"20

Title

Stadium

MUSIC

2'07''27

2'24''36

"Folklore Chine" by Tristan Carbonnier

Stadium

VOICE OVER

2'14''36

3'02''20

Kabul... Ghazi Stadium... Best known across the world as the former execution site of the Taliban, where women were stoned to death for infidelity.

Today however, football teams train all day long.

Six years after the fundamentalist regime was overthrown, Afghanistan has evolved. This 19 year old woman is the living proof of the changes happening in the country.

Mehbooba Adiar is Afghanistan’s only woman athlete to compete at the olympic games. A big responsability for this 1,500m runner who is going to challenge the fastest in the world...

3 men, one woman: in total 4 afghans athletes are going to China for the Games. Massoud Hashimi is also one of them. He and Mehbooba arer getting some intensive training

Stadium

Coach

3'02''29

03'30''27

If you decrease your time down by 1 single second, it will be a great achievement for us. Massoud for example, I will calculate your time only below your personal record - 11'11. Making less than 11'11 would be a great achievement.

When you will be standing on the line with the other competitors, you will have to do your best till the finish line! Try to break your own record, but I will be proud of you anyway.

Afghan livelihood

MUSIC

03'35''21

03'50''38

"Neemburah" by the Ensemble Badila

Afghan livelihood

Mehbooba's home

VOICE OVER

03'39''22

04'07''20

Afghanistan is still rebuilding itself after nearly thirty years of war. But the billions of dollars pumped into the economy have yet to provide electricity to all the people. At Mehbooba’s home, there isn’t even running water.

Mehbooba has already won several races in Afghanistan, and has even pocketed a one thousand dollar prize last year.

A promosing carreer for this young athlete. But still, everyday is a struggle...

Mehbooba's home

Mehbooba

04'07''26

04'44'22

Allah and his Prophet Mohammad said that men and women should be equal in rights, but this is not the case in Afghanistan. In sports, if a man is good and becomes famous, he will get a lot of consideration and respect from the society. But for a woman, it is the contrary, people will have a bad opinion of her and speak disrespectfully. Some people say that women should stay in their home.

Mehbooba's home

Mother

04'44'27

05'03''38

Some people are asking why Karzai hasn't rebuilt our country properly...

But how do you expect him to do so? It's not possible!

In our country, everybody is against each other, even among brothers and sisters. Why is nobody congratulating me for what my daughter is doing?

Mehbooba's home

Sister

05'03''38

05'16''37

No, mother, we should be happy and thankful to Mr. Karzai. Look, thanks to him, in our Islamic country women are doing many things. Now, women can be artists, doctors, pilots, and even athletes!

In front of her home at night

VOICE OVER

05'17''40

05'25''34

Mehbooba trains every evening in the street in front of her home. But not tonight: A neighboor sees our camera and has called the police…

In front of her home at night

Policeman

05'25''39

05'37''28

What are you doing here???  -  I am making a movie .

What his the name of the athete?   -   Mehbooba. 

Can somebody confirm that she is really an athlete?   -   Yes.

Go home, go home!

Mehbooba's home

VOICE OVER

05'39''39

05'52''31

Ever since Mehbooba became known in Kabul, she has been getting threats from her neighbors. Not everyone here accepts that a woman can be an athlete…

But Mehbooba has defied the threats and the insults, and continues her training.

Stadium

MUSIC

05'53''29

06'15''20

"Via Piano" by Tristan Carbonnier

At the restaurant

Massoud

06'17''33

06'18''36

Two Special pizzas please... 

At the restaurant

Mehbooba

06'27''30

06'42''30

I told my father that I would never get married until he passes away. And anyway if he were to pass away, I would pass away myself with him! I love both my parents so much…

At the restaurant

Massoud

06'45''20

06'54''20

Of course, everybody love their parents. But one day we have to get married, it's a custom.

At the restaurant

Mehbooba

06'54''25

07'17''32

Let's finish school first, I will see later if I get married or not.

I would like to marry an educated boy. Only 30% of our people are educated - 70% are uneducated. I don't want to have an uneducated husband because he would not know how to behave...

Headquarters of the Olympic committee

Olympic official

07'27''40

07'36''35

In Islamabad, they should provide you with your ticket, passport and visa. Remember this, it's very important.

Headquarters of the Olympic committee

VOICE OVER

07'37''35

07'46''35

At the headquarters of the Afghan Olympics Comitee, Mehbooba and Massoud receive some last minute tips from their coach…

They are going to fly Malyasia for the last few months of their training.

Headquarters of the Olympic committee

Coach

07'47''38

08'16''38

Let me explain you the dress code for Afghan athletes. At the Games of 2004, they were wearing sweatpants, a long-sleeved shirt, a jumper, and one the head, a veil like the one you have now, or a hat. This is part of our culture and traditions, and athletes must follow these rules as well.

In a park

VOICE OVER

08'20''23

08'28''44

Mehbooba has never left her family before, and has never travelled further than Pakistan. She spends her last moment in the park with her sisters and cousins.

In a park

Mehbooba

08'31''28

08'54''26

I have never been separated from my family for a long time. I will miss them! My mother, father, sisters, brothers... they love me and they will probably miss me as well.

But this is not important. I have to travel to reprensent my country at the Games.

Mehbooba's home / At the airport

MUSIC

08'51''35

09'41''34

"Afghani Masala" by Ensemble Badila

At the airport

VOICE OVER

09'14''44

09'27''29

It is a modest send-off with just her family present. No other camera are here...

But by the time she gets to Beijing in August, the whole world media will be following the fortunes of this young Afghan woman.