Ajyal Film Festival 2024

All Films

Wajma (An Afghan Love Story) (Wajma)

Bader - ages 18+ - Ajyal Youth Film Festival 2013

للترجمة العربية اضغط على

Barmak Akram / Feature Narrative / Afghanistan, France / 2013 / 79 min / Colour / HDCAM / In Persian / Arabic, English subtitles / MENA Premiere
Rated: Parental guidance advised for viewers under the age of 15. Individuals under the age of 15 are not admitted into cinemas unless accompanied by an individual aged 18 or over.

Synopsis

In Competition

A man defuses bombs in the minefields – but he can’t predict the huge explosion that is about to take place in his own family. His daughter Wajma is seduced by Mustafa, a waiter who charms her into having an illicit relationship. So begins a terrible chain of events: Wajma discovers she is pregnant; Mustafa rejects her; her father finds out about the situation; violence erupts.

‘Wajma (An Afghan Love Story)’, its title deliberately sardonic, takes an unblinking and unapologetic look at the reality of women caught in situations from which there is no escape. Although it relies on vivid settings and naturalistic performances, it is far more than a strong example of cinéma-vérité. Its realistic façade reveals an ingeniously crafted mise-en-scène that is charged with profound symbolism. Watching brutal dog fights in the streets of Kabul, a father losing his balance on slippery snow, or the bird’s-eye view of a beautiful yet inhospitable landscape framed by the window of a plane, we cannot help but see in these images a direct expression of the characters’ feelings.

Winner of the Screenwriting Award at Sundance 2013 and submitted as the official Afghan entry to the Academy Awards for best foreign language film, ‘Wajma’ could well turn out to be for Afghanistan what ‘A Separation’ was for Iran or ‘4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days’ was for Romania.

About the Director

Barmak Akram, born in 1966 in Kabul, lives in Paris, where he studied fine arts. His first feature film, ‘Kabuli Kid’ (2008), won several awards and screened at the Venice Film Festival. He has also made experimental and documentary films, including ‘Toutes les télés du monde’ (2009). As a musician, interpreter and composer, he explores Afghan culture as well as Persian poetry.

Credits

Director
Barmak Akram
Screenwriter
Barmak Akram
Producer
Barmak Akram
Editor
Barmak Akram, Herve de luze, Isabelle Ingold
Music
Barmak Akram, Matthieu Chedid, Susheela Raman
Cinematographer
Barmak Akram
Sales Company
Kabuli Film- AFGHANISTAN
Production Company
Kabuli Film
Cast
Wajma Bahar, Mustafa Abdulsatar, Haji Gul, Breshna Bahar

Contacts

  • Press Contact

    Sacha Tohme

    Company: 
    Moving Turtle
    Phone: 
    +961 1 200 564

  • Production Company

    Barmak Akram

    Company: 
    Kabuli Film, Hariroad
    Phone: 
    +961 71 278 927

  • Sales Contact

    Alice Damiani

    Company: 
    Doc & Film International
    Phone: 
    +33 142 775 687

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