Afghanistan - LookListenLocal
Engaging with Afghan voices as the world disengagesSummary
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.
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.
“My Cousin is fighting for the Taliban. I am not.” New Story: Afghanistan-LookListenLocal
Majid starts receiving calls. Some are from Afghan members of parliament. Some are from unknown callers who reject the allegations and demand Majid to quit reporting or he might not be aboveground to receive their next call. The man on the other end of the line can be anyone. He can be Majid’s cousin who has joined the Taliban.
The black future of Afghanistan
From a colleague in Afghanistan: Kabul city is currently surrounded by those wild creatures in this black forest. Those predators have become more savage and unrestrained than before.
Evacuation and Resettlement
We are no longer accepting funds designated for the Fund for Afghan Evacuation and Resettlement (FAER) as our ability to help has been impacted by the Trump administration’s closure of the US refugee and resettlement programs. With the generous support you have already provided, we continue to help families already settled in the US, refugees still in dire situations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, and to advocate for the resumption of the US refugee and resettlement programs.
FAER started in August of 2021 in response to the pullout by the US and the take over of Afghanistan by the Taliban. CSFilm supporters have generously contributed over $60,000 which was (and continues to be) used to help 21 families with subsistence, evacuation, temporary relocation and legal aid. FAER was reopened in November of 2024 to help Afghan refugees arriving in the US and those still in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran, but is once again not accepting new donations.
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.
1st anniversary of Afghan crisis
Night after night (daytime in Afghanistan) I used real-time on-the-ground intelligence information provided by vets and other organizations also working to evacuate people, to try and help guide families around the violent Taliban checkpoints, through the crushing crowds to the 20’ high walls of cement and barbed wire.
Doc World | Afghanistan: The Wounded Land – A Four-Part Series – Streaming Online
From the Soviet invasion to the Taliban regime, a new series narrated by ‘The Kite Runner’ author @khaledhosseini explores Afghanistan’s complex past, present & future. Watch ‘#Afghanistan: The Wounded Land’ on Sundays starting 7/10 on #DocWorld. https://worldchannel.org/show/doc-world/ #AfghanistanWoundedLand
Presented & Produced by Community Supported Film
© 2021 Community Supported Film