| Man riding donkey | 00:09:13:20 00:09:17:21 | And I am really crying for my son, | |
| that I did a biggest mistake for him. | |||
| Women on the streets | Narration | 00:09:26:10 00:09:33:07 | As recently as 2001, there were less than |
| one million children in the Afghan schools. | |||
| 00:09:33:08 00:09:36:24 | I saw it become ten million, | ||
| of which nearly half are girls. | |||
| Children going to the school | |||
| 00:09:40:10 00:09:43:11 | To learn, the children must | ||
| combine school with work. | |||
| 00:09:43:23 00:09:47:03 | For them, going to school is like | ||
| Lesson at school | being in a different world, | ||
| 00:09:47:06 00:09:51:17 | a world where they arrive overtired | ||
| but where someone cares about them, | |||
| 00:09:51:18 00:09:54:12 | and where they simply are children. | ||
| Dialogue | 00:09:54:21 00:09:57:07 | Eight minus five? | |
| Three | |||
| 00:09:57:19 00:10:00:07 | For instance, Ibrahim has 8 Afghani | ||
| 00:10:00:07 00:10:02:13 | He spends five. | ||
| 00:10:03:07 00:10:04:14 | How much is that? | ||
| Nine | |||
| 00:10:04:14 00:10:05:23 | How much is that? | ||
| Eight | |||
| 00:10:06:05 00:10:09:00 | Matiullah, how much is this? | ||
| 00:10:09:22 00:10:11:04 | Seven. | ||
| 00:10:11:06 00:10:12:05 | Nine. | ||
| 00:10:12:07 00:10:14:11 | Tell me how much is nine minus five? | ||
| Boys playing football | Narration | 00:10:25:24 00:10:30:23 | Here, they can play safer. |
| And count on help. | |||
| Cutting meat | 00:10:34:01 00:10:38:21 | Today, to celebrate the holidays, | |
| a rich Afghan has brought a cow. | |||
| Meat giveaway | 00:10:40:03 00:10:43:17 | The portions are small, | |
| but each child gets one. | |||
| Dialogue | 00:10:46:04 00:10:48:20 | ... they have no mother. | |
| 00:10:49:01 00:10:52:17 | Two girls are very poor. | ||
| 00:10:52:19 00:10:55:00 | And you come over here, will you. | ||
| 00:11:05:11 00:11:07:11 | Come on little girl, | ||
| where is that little girl? | |||
| Birds flying of the square, river running in the valley, man riding a horse | n/a | ||
| People living in the mountains | Narration | 00:11:34:01 00:11:38:20 | The mountains of Afghanistan are home |
| to some of the world's poorest people. | |||
| 00:11:39:01 00:11:42:24 | These are landless farmers | ||
| or those living off scraps of land. | |||
| Mountains | 00:11:43:01 00:11:46:22 | Some of shepherds leave small | |
| herds on the bare slopes, | |||
| 00:11:47:01 00:11:51:19 | and then, for 6 months, | ||
| they live in rock crevices. | |||
| 00:11:53:16 00:11:57:16 | This seemingly harsh and beautiful | ||
| environment is dangerous. | |||
| 00:11:58:01 00:12:03:23 | The people, who have suffered a lot, | ||
| are still living in danger. | |||
| 00:12:10:03 00:12:13:07 | They live in areas prone to natural disasters. | ||
| Villager - OFF, destroyed village | Dialogue | 00:12:17:23 00:12:20:07 | That was last year. |
| 00:12:20:07 00:12:25:04 | People had no idea flood was coming, | ||
| because it was raining over the mountain | |||
| 00:12:36:03 00:12:39:13 | They were in their homes when suddenly | ||
| water appeared | |||
| 00:12:39:13 00:12:43:03 | 6 people were killed | ||
| 00:12:43:03 00:12:49:16 | All our belongings, animals, land, | ||
| our whole life flowed down | |||
| Narration | 00:12:57:11 00:12:59:21 | The worst part comes later. | |
| 00:13:05:03 00:13:08:06 | when it turns out that nobody | ||
| is interested in what happens to them. | |||
| 00:13:09:21 00:13:12:14 | Winter is already round the corner. | ||
| 00:13:15:03 00:13:20:10 | If not for the help of the world, they would | ||
| not be able to rebuild their lives. | |||
| Weaver | 00:13:29:00 00:13:31:06 | Knowledge of the needs of the people | |
| 00:13:31:07 00:13:35:00 | makes it possible for the aid organizations | ||
| to help wisely. | |||
| 00:13:35:16 00:13:39:22 | Sometimes, a gift of a loom can change lives. | ||
| Weaver - OFF, performing job | Dialogue | 00:13:42:23 00:13:45:16 | I made straps, saddlebags. |
| I sold them I bought sheep. | |||
| 00:13:46:02 00:13:50:15 | We want to have an entire flock, | ||
| that's always some extra income. | |||
| 00:13:52:21 00:13:58:05 | Those were the war years, we had to | ||
| count on one another. | |||
| 00:13:58:05 00:14:00:19 | We've had our ups and downs. | ||
| We've had years with no work or bread, | |||
| 00:14:00:19 00:14:03:17 | fortunately, it is better now. | ||
| My sons have grown up | |||
| 00:14:03:17 00:14:06:21 | they go to school, I work, | ||
| we're moving forward, | |||
| Cabbage field | Narration | 00:14:12:03 00:14:15:10 | The Afghan economy is mainly agricultural. |
| 00:14:15:12 00:14:19:03 | Four-fifths of the Afghan people | ||
| work in this sector. | |||
| Workers around extractor press | 00:14:28:03 00:14:32:03 | The Afghans make use of the lessons | |
| they learn from us. | |||
| 00:14:33:03 00:14:38:03 | This extractor press started by an aid organization | ||
| operates for farmers from 80 villages. | |||
| 00:14:47:03 00:14:52:03 | The cultivation of new plants, even cabbage, | ||
| gives farmers not only a better income, | |||
| 00:14:52:17 00:14:55:16 | but also a more diversified diet. | ||
| Farmers on desert fields | 00:14:59:03 00:15:02:18 | But the development is slow | |
| and requires years of work. | |||
| Farmers holding bags | 00:15:13:16 00:15:18:16 | I saw how tough and resistant Afghans can be, | |
| but they need our support. | |||
| Remote village shots | 00:15:24:16 00:15:28:07 | In such desolate places | |
| it was mainly thanks to aid work | |||
| 00:15:28:07 00:15:31:14 | that people finally saw | ||
| some changes happening. | |||
| Farmer from the village - OFF, build | Dialogue | 00:15:36:22 00:15:41:15 | We had nothing in the days of Zahir, |
| Daud or later | |||
| 00:15:41:15 00:15:48:24 | they made a water reservoir, | ||
| built a school | |||
| 00:15:48:24 00:15:53:18 | we were cut off here, | ||
| we couldn't get anywhere | |||
| 00:15:53:18 00:15:58:02 | Now there are roads, cars, | ||
| you can travel | |||
| Trucks driving through the road | Narration | 00:16:02:09 00:16:07:03 | But the key to development |
| is the ability to move around freely. | |||
| 00:16:07:03 00:16:10:15 | Today in Afghanistan, new roads | ||
| are being set up. | |||
| 00:16:10:15 00:16:16:03 | They were built owing to the tremendous work | ||
| of the international community and the Afghans. | |||
| Landscapes of mountains | 00:16:19:14 00:16:24:09 | But despite the massive work, | |
| many problems remain unsolved. | |||
| 00:16:28:08 00:16:33:03 | In the mountain regions, | ||
| water is increasingly hard to find. | |||
| Villagers traveling to the water reservoir, filling buckets with water | 00:16:50:09 00:16:54:09 | In the early fall and winter, | |
| people collect rainwater | |||
| 00:16:54:09 00:16:56:23 | in holes excavated in the rock. | ||
| 00:16:56:23 00:16:59:18 | That water must last them half a year. | ||
| 00:16:59:18 00:17:03:22 | As time goes by, you go further | ||
| to the last reservoirs, | |||
| 00:17:03:22 00:17:08:09 | hoping the water lasts until | ||
| the first rainfall. | |||
| 00:17:25:14 00:17:29:09 | And the deeper you go into the infinity | ||
| of the Afghan mountains, | |||
| 00:17:29:14 00:17:32:16 | the more you are just on your own.. | ||
| TV is transmitted to the villages | n/a | ||
| News header | Dialogue | 00:17:51:23 00:17:55:13 | Good morning to all the viewers |
| of the state television in Samangan. | |||
| 00:17:55:13 00:18:00:00 | You're watching the evening news | ||
| service delivered in sign language. | |||
| TV studio | 00:18:00:24 00:18:02:11 | Headline news. | |
| 00:18:04:03 00:18:10:03 | On Saturday, the 10th day | ||
| of the month of Mizan 1393 | |||
| 00:18:10:03 00:18:13:11 | in one of the mosques near the | ||
| town of Samangan | |||
| Parween - OFF, recording news | 00:18:13:18 00:18:19:17 | in the name of God, the Merciful, | |
| the Compassionate, my name is Parween. | |||
| 00:18:19:17 00:18:24:01 | because I was concerned about other | ||
| deaf-mute people, | |||
| 00:18:24:01 00:18:28:06 | who were not able to listen to the news, | ||
| 00:18:28:06 00:18:34:19 | I wanted to give them a news | ||
| programme delivered in sign language | |||
| 00:18:35:03 00:18:42:09 | Thank you for your attention. | ||
| Goodbye. | |||
| Parween on the streets | Narration | 00:18:45:22 00:18:49:09 | Before, these people were stigmatized. |
| 00:18:51:08 00:18:54:14 | I was so happy to see that the presenter | ||
| is a woman. | |||
| Paraween - OFF, on the streets | Dialogue | 00:18:56:04 00:19:02:04 | Before, I was using |
| my own gestures | |||
| 00:19:02:04 00:19:05:13 | which only my family understood. | ||
| 00:19:05:13 00:19:09:04 | it was not a formal sign language, | ||
| but rather our own | |||
| 00:19:11:16 00:19:16:22 | Since I started learning, | ||
| Parween - OFF, at home | 00:19:16:22 00:19:20:24 | I have had access to books | |
| with over 6000 words. | |||
| 00:19:20:24 00:19:24:15 | This lets me continue | ||
| my education. | |||
| Parween meets her family | Narration | 00:19:32:23 00:19:37:08 | In her life, Parween met aid workers |
| who helped her start a new life. | |||
| Parween - OFF, with family | Dialogue | 00:19:39:06 00:19:46:18 | I got married and I am on very good |
| terms with my husband's family. | |||
| 00:19:53:21 00:19:59:12 | It seemed strange to me. I thought that, | ||
| after all, I'm deaf. | |||
| 00:19:59:12 00:20:02:17 | "So, how would anyone | ||
| want to get engaged to me?" | |||
| 00:20:02:17 00:20:09:00 | I thought deaf-mute people | ||
| do not marry. | |||
| School from outside | Narration | 00:20:13:12 00:20:16:12 | Parween's disability meant exclusion. |
| 00:20:16:12 00:20:20:12 | Today, Parween herself works | ||
| with the people who once helped her | |||
| 00:20:20:12 00:20:24:02 | and helps the needy to start a normal life. | ||
| Paraween - OFF, teaching children | Dialogue | 00:20:25:21 00:20:30:06 | In the past, people used to tease me, |
| because I am deaf without speech | |||
| 00:20:30:23 00:20:36:13 | Now, after the support I received, | ||
| I teach children. | |||
| Children learning and playing | Narration | 00:20:48:03 00:20:52:12 | But these facilities, try to support |
| all cases of disabilities, | |||
| 00:20:52:12 00:20:54:22 | including ones which used to mean | ||
| 00:20:54:22 00:20:57:05 | a sentence of permanent exclusion. | ||
| 00:21:02:13 00:21:06:22 | To those in need, the facilities | ||
| are enclaves of peace and understanding | |||
| 00:21:06:22 00:21:12:09 | that they have not found in their lives, | ||
| outside the walls of such centres. | |||
| Child pushed in a wheelbarrow | n/a | ||
| Sana Gul - OFF, walk around the school in the night | Dialogue | 00:21:45:11 00:21:47:01 | In the name of God, the Merciful, |
| the Compassionate. | |||
| 00:21:47:01 00:21:50:09 | My name is Sana Gul. | ||
| I'm 22 years old. | |||
| 00:21:55:03 00:21:58:20 | When I came back from Pakistan, | ||
| I was 14. | |||
| 00:21:58:20 00:22:03:09 | The head teacher at the school | ||
| I went to told me I was too old, | |||
| 00:22:03:09 00:22:06:19 | it was a school for young children. | ||
| 00:22:06:19 00:22:11:11 | And that he was not going to enrol me | ||
| and I could not go to a state school. | |||
| Sane Gul enters school building | Narration | 00:22:13:12 00:22:16:08 | Sane Gul is a caretaker, |
| 00:22:16:08 00:22:20:12 | and he dreams to break away from living | ||
| in the same camp as Navid. | |||
| Sane Gul - OFF, learns in the classroom | Dialogue | 00:22:21:07 00:22:23:13 | I felt really bad. |
| 00:22:23:13 00:22:27:04 | I was hoping that I would be able to learn. | ||
| 00:22:27:04 00:22:33:23 | Anyone can be a shepherd, and I decided | ||
| that I wanted something more. | |||
| Sane Gul at home | |||
| Streets on Kabul in the morning | Narration | 00:23:07:20 00:23:11:16 | I understand why he prefers Kabul |
| with its opportunities, | |||
| 00:23:11:20 00:23:14:20 | even if it is so hard to make a mark here. | ||
| Sane Gul - OFF, going to the university | Dialogue | 00:23:15:15 00:23:19:01 | If you want something, |
| you can get it. | |||
| 00:23:20:22 00:23:26:19 | I worked and I studied day and night | ||
| to get into the chosen faculty. | |||
| 00:23:26:19 00:23:31:24 | Now I'm in my fourth semester | ||
| Sane Gul - OFF, at the university | 00:23:31:24 00:23:36:02 | and I hope it is going to work out | |
| in the future. God is gracious. | |||
| Sane Gul at the university | Narration | 00:23:38:10 00:23:44:24 | Every day, thousands of people get up early |
| to go and learn, as early as 5 am. | |||
| Marks of war in the city | 00:23:45:15 00:23:51:15 | The Afghans, I live among, are a young nation. | |
| Two-thirds of them are not even 25. | |||
| 00:23:56:23 00:24:00:22 | So many of the old generation | ||
| died in the wars | |||
| 00:24:01:02 00:24:03:15 | when people were made | ||
| to fight each other. | |||
| Essan - OFF, man walking with gun | Dialogue | 00:24:08:03 00:24:12:18 | The war the conflicts in the country, |
| has given the image for us, | |||
| 00:24:12:21 00:24:15:10 | that Uzbeks killing Pashtuns, | ||
| Essan - OFF, streets of the city | 00:24:15:10 00:24:20:19 | Pashtuns killing Hazara, Hazara paying | |
| money to kill Pashtuns. | |||
| 00:24:21:01 00:24:24:07 | But you are humanitarian worker | ||
| Essan - OFF, dinner with friends | You are as Afghan humanitarian worker. | ||
| 00:24:25:12 00:24:30:21 | And you find that family which you hated, | ||
| in your mind you were just thinking | |||
| 00:24:30:21 00:24:32:17 | "I will never work for this tribe" | ||
| Essan - OFF, people on the streets | 00:24:32:17 00:24:34:24 | One day you are working for this family, | |
| and you see that | |||
| 00:24:35:07 00:24:37:17 | the difference is only because | ||
| he is living in different province. | |||
| 00:24:37:23 00:24:41:16 | But in fundamental difference | ||
| there is nothing. | |||
| 00:24:41:22 00:24:45:01 | The only thing which this family is poor | ||
| and need your support. | |||
| 00:24:45:07 00:24:47:24 | And what you do is realy want to | ||
| give them support. | |||
| Landscapes | Narration | 00:24:59:22 00:25:05:13 | Here in Kandahar, the beating heart |
| Streets on Kandahar | of the south, the city itself seems safe. | ||
| Soldier on the street | 00:25:13:16 00:25:18:17 | But the war is still present and has been | |
| going on for over three decades. | |||
| Choldren on the streets | 00:25:26:09 00:25:31:05 | A problem that is still unsolved is the millions | |
| of pieces of unexploded ordnance | |||
| 00:25:31:05 00:25:35:09 | that continue to hurt people, mostly children. | ||
| Abdul Hadi- OFF, driving a car | Dialogue | 00:25:37:17 00:25:41:11 | It was 24 years ago |
| 00:25:41:11 00:25:48:00 | I left the house to meet | ||
| my friends. | |||
| 00:25:48:00 00:25:53:20 | Nearby, there was a field where | ||
| we wanted to play ball | |||
| 00:25:53:20 00:26:01:07 | When I was walking around the pitch, | ||
| I took a turn | |||
| 00:26:01:07 00:26:03:20 | and I stepped on a mine | ||
| Abdul Hadi - OFF, gets off a car | 00:26:14:18 00:26:16:22 | they took me to a hospital where | |
| there was no equipment | |||
| 00:26:16:22 00:26:18:13 | or professional staff | ||
| 00:26:18:13 00:26:22:10 | The only thing they could do | ||
| was bandage me | |||
| 00:26:22:10 00:26:26:05 | and they told me I need to look | ||
| for help somewhere else. | |||
| Abdul Hadi - OFF, walking | 00:26:31:15 00:26:35:04 | It was a very bad time for me | |
| 00:26:35:09 00:26:38:01 | People would call me different names, | ||
| 00:26:38:01 00:26:42:04 | they said that I must be a sinner | ||
| if God tried me so sorely | |||
| 00:26:42:18 00:26:47:07 | it was then that NGOs started | ||
| their operations here | |||
| 00:26:47:07 00:26:52:06 | One of them gave me a new wheelchair | ||
| 00:26:52:06 00:26:54:16 | I opened a small shop in the village | ||
| Abdul Ha Anello Capuano & Bruno Assenmacher - Farkhar Chi Khush Ast Anello Capuano & Bruno Assenmacher - Shrang Shrang Nashenas - Dara Ba Dara Uzgar - Amazing Rubab Music Homayun Sakhi - Dha Luyo Luyo Qudrathunu Rabaa Gulab Khel & Murad - Bya ke borem ba mazar | |||
| Concept and realization | |||
| Studio Szumowski | |||
| Special thanks to | |||
| All the NGOs who ahve facilitated our work and to all non-governmental organisation that continue to work in Afghanistan despite all challanges faced | |||
| Special thanks yo | |||
| ACBAR: Justine Piquemal, Hamidullah Ahmadi, Javid Ahmad Omari | |||
| Eng Homayoun Mawj, Marine Durand, Sefat, NasirAhmad and Aimal | |||
| Ministry of Information and Culture | |||
| Islamic Republic of Afghanistan | |||
| Ministry of Interior | |||
| Islamic Republic of Afghanistan | |||
| This film was made possible by the support of TawanMandi, an organization strengthening civil society in Afghanistan | |||