Barefoot to Herat (film)
Encyclopedia
Barefoot to Herat is a 2002
Iranian film
by Majid Majidi
. It is a documentary about the plight of Afghani
refugees just after the 2001 military offensive
against the Taliban.
, one called Makaki in a territory controlled by the Northern Alliance
.The rest of the film was shot at another camp called Maslakh, in the city of Herat
. The camps are makeshift and conditions are inhumane, making them ill-suited for families whose lives have been torn apart by war. Through interviews with peasants, soldiers, children, and the elderly, Majidi finds the human spirit intact, and still in need of joy and memories and dreams.
2002 in film
The year 2002 in film involved some significant events. The first significant releases of sequels took place between The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, Analyze That, Spy Kids 2: The Island of...
Iranian film
Cinema of Iran
The cinema of Iran is a flourishing film industry with a long history. Many popular commercial films are annually made in Iran, and Iranian art films win praise around the world....
by Majid Majidi
Majid Majidi
Majid Majidi is an internationally and critically acclaimed Iranian film director, film producer, and screenwriter. Majidi's films have touched on many themes and genres and he has won many international awards.-Biography:...
. It is a documentary about the plight of Afghani
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
refugees just after the 2001 military offensive
War in Afghanistan (2001–present)
The War in Afghanistan began on October 7, 2001, as the armed forces of the United States of America, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Afghan United Front launched Operation Enduring Freedom...
against the Taliban.
Background
The film was shot primarily at two refugee camps in Western AfghanistanAfghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
, one called Makaki in a territory controlled by the Northern Alliance
United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan
The United Islamic Front , known in the West and Pakistan as the Northern Alliance, was a military-political umbrella organization created by the Islamic State of Afghanistan in 1996 under the leadership of Defense Minister Ahmad Shah Massoud...
.The rest of the film was shot at another camp called Maslakh, in the city of Herat
Herat
Herāt is the capital of Herat province in Afghanistan. It is the third largest city of Afghanistan, with a population of about 397,456 as of 2006. It is situated in the valley of the Hari River, which flows from the mountains of central Afghanistan to the Karakum Desert in Turkmenistan...
. The camps are makeshift and conditions are inhumane, making them ill-suited for families whose lives have been torn apart by war. Through interviews with peasants, soldiers, children, and the elderly, Majidi finds the human spirit intact, and still in need of joy and memories and dreams.
Awards
- 2004 FIPRESCI Prize, Greece http://www.fipresci.org/festivals/archive/2004/thessaloniki_doc/thessdoc04_kwolfs.htm