Three documentaries were screened today (Tuesday, August 20) at the Afghan Film Directorate.
During the inauguration of the screenings, Atiqullah Azizi, Deputy Minister of Arts and Culture at the Ministry of Information and Culture, highlighted the significance of documentary filmmaking in the country, stating that these films can act as vital reflections of the nation’s history.
He also pledged that the Ministry of Information and Culture would continue to support the Afghan Film Directorate.
“If we don’t have these three documentaries being presented today, on what basis will our future generations judge in ten or twenty years?” he said.
Faiz Mohammad Jalali, the head of Afghan Film, said that since the Islamic Emirate’s return to power, there have been significant achievements in documentary production at Afghan Film. He stressed the need for increased film production in the country.
“Afghan Film and the National Theater Directorate, like other Emirate institutions, have initiated effective activities in a very short time, with improving quality day by day. If, like the past two years, we had documentaries like Bagram and Salang, then in the past ten or twelve months, we have achieved several artistic milestones, such as feature films, art festivals, and other documentaries,” Faiz Mohammad Jalali said.
The three documentaries are titled National Archive, Sangin, and Mother of Bombs.
Meanwhile, the directors of these films have called for financial support from the Islamic Emirate.
Mohammad Sharif Sarwari, the director of one of the documentaries, said: “At the very least, they should provide some funds to the directors or producers so we can create better and higher-quality films. Additionally, the equipment available at Afghan Film is not sufficient.”
The director, Mohammad Zarif Darwish, stated, “Two of my films were screened: one titled National Archive and the other Mother of Bombs. The National Archive film, as the name suggests, revolves around the National Archive and is divided into three sections.”
According to Atiqullah Azizi, these documentaries are set to be broadcast on various media channels after their screening and approval by Afghan Film.