Afghanistan - LookListenLocal

Engaging with Afghan voices as the world disengages

Summary

It is the 10th anniversary of Community Supported Film’s distribution of the films made by Afghans during our training project, The Fruit of Our Labor – Afghan Perspectives in Film.

It is also the 20th anniversary of the American war in Afghanistan which has ended with the collapse of the Afghan goverment and the takeover by the Taliban.

Community Supported Film’s (CSFilm) mission is to amplify local voices in under- or mis-represented communities – whether they be new immigrants in the United States, Haitians, or Afghans.

As the international community disengages, Americans are hearing very little from Afghans. In line with our mission, CSFilm launches Afghanistan-LookListenLocal. From now through the departure of the US coalition, Afghans will share their experiences through videos, photos, and writing.

Afghanistan-LookListenLocal will include:

Single Shot Video Contest. Afghans across the country are using their phones to shoot a single unedited shot that captures the essence of their lived reality.
Short documentary videos are being mentored through production and will become new tools to stimulate discussion.
Blog posts are being written on Afghans that participated in CSFilm’s first training and filmmaking project, The Fruit of Our Labor-Afghan Perspectives in Film. After 10 years many are refugees again, others have developed careers in filmmaking, some are living or working in regions once again controlled by the Taliban, all are fearful that Afghanistan is returning to a civil war defined by ethnic divisions.

Video Contest

Single Shot Video Contest. Afghans across the country are using their phones to shoot a single unedited shot that captures the essence of their lived reality. The best entries are awarded $300 and shared. This started in June, before the takeover by the Taliban.

Filmmaker: Hosna; Location: Kabul City, Afghanistan

Introduction from Hosna:

“This video is about street kids because:

Streets kids are under a lot of mental pressure;
They lose the chance to get an education;
The likelihood that they will be recruited by insurgent groups and gangs is high;
They should play but they work.

There are thousands of kids on the street who make a living by begging, waxing shoes, washing cars and much more.”

Stories

Blog posts are being written on Afghans that participated in CSFilm’s first training and filmmaking project, The Fruit of Our Labor-Afghan Perspectives in Film. These stories were written before the takeover by the Taliban.

Against the Wall – An Afghan Evacuation Story, Part 2

It was August 19th 2021, three days after Afghanistan fell to the Taliban. I received a startling email from Rahmat, one of our editors:

Dear Michael,

Hope you are doing well. Now I got to Poland. Warsaw airport. This is the contact number of a polish woman who was responsible to assemble us to travel to Poland. Hope you and Basir can find a solution to evacuate all members here.

A year ago today three families escaped Afghanistan – Advocate now for the thousands left behind

A year ago today three Afghan families that worked with Community Supported Film (CSFilm) went through a horrific experience at the Kabul airport....

Against the Wall – An Afghan Evacuation Story – Part 1

The day Kabul fell to the Taliban, August 15, 2021, Basir and his family made their first attempt to get into the airport and onto a plane. It would be nearly a month before they escaped into Pakistan. Over the next weeks they would be beaten at Taliban checkpoints, endure crushing crowds and be threatened and sworn at by soldiers from around the world.

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Evacuation and Resettlement

Urgent Help needed to Evacuate and Resettle Afghan Filmmakers & Families: Since Before the fall of Kabul on August 15th, life has turned into a terrifying scramble for millions in Afghanistan, including the people Community Supported Film (CSFilm) works with. We are working night and day to get them out of the country. To assist these families we have established the Afghan Evacuation & Resettlement Fund. In normal circumstances, any initiative that contributes to the brain drain of a country is anathema to the foundation of our work. In this case, however, we will do everything possible to save and rebuild our colleagues’ lives.

Donate to the Afghan Evacuation & Resettlement Fund

Please contribute to this effort to help people face the physical, mental, and financial challenges of leaving everything behind and resettling in a new country.

These are the early days of a long, arduous, and painful process. We do not know how much money will be needed, for how long or how exactly it will be used. If for whatever reason funds aren’t needed for resettlement, we will refund your donation or ask your permission to put it to use towards our ongoing mission-based work to amplify local voices, perspectives, and experience. Thank you. Read updates on the effort below.

Afghans neglected by the US govt while supported by the US public

CSFilm continues to provide legal and logistical support for our Afghan colleagues as they seek a path to safety and stability. Many of the evacuation and resettlement appeals and parole cases that we have filed continue to languish in US State Department systems. Several cases have been denied, leaving the families without hope for resettlement.