Kandahar

The prolific Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf (Gabbeh) had one of his most visible international successes with this haunting, open-ended drama. Set (and shot) during the Taliban era, it follows an Afghani-Canadian woman as she attempts to enter Afghanistan in search of a despondent sister. Since it is illegal for a woman to travel alone, she must rely on the kindness--or curiosity--of strangers, including a scrappy boy and a mysterious American doctor. The woman playing the lead role had earlier contacted Makhmalbaf about a similar real-life search, which prompted him to write the screenplay. The director doesn't really tell her story so much as he unveils a way of life: in the desert, we meet land-mine victims, Red Cross volunteers caught in a Catch-22 world, and women smothered in head-to-foot burkas. The portrait is one of oppression, but also of people furiously trying to get by. --Robert Horton

Movie Details

Cast: Niloufar Pazira, Hassan Tantai, Sadou Teymouri, Hayatalah Hakimi
Running time: 85 min
DVD Aspect Ratios: 1.85:1

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DVD Features:

Original Theatrical Trailer

International Trailer

Commentary Track By Nelofer Pazira

Lifting the Veil a Documentary About the Film

Cast and Director Bios

Photo Gallery

International rating:

Europe: PG
Australia: PG

DVD International release dates:
North America: Apr 22, 03
Europe: May 13, 03