Osama

I believe this is the first film from Afghanistan that I’ve seen.   It takes place during the reign of the Taliban at a time when many women had been widowed by war.   Since the Taliban did not allow them to work (or to even venture outside without a male chaperone), many women and girls were starving.   The film concerns a young girl who disguises herself as a boy so that she can find work to support her mother and grandmother.   This is no phony feel-good entertainment.   Filmmaker Siddiq Barmak cites the influence of Tarkovsky, Kiarostami, and Makhmalbaf, and if you like their work, you’ll probably like this.

- Mar 1, 2004