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Utterly unique in film history, Mariam Ghani's archival marvel WHAT WE LEFT UNFINISHED is a probing and engrossing case study in censorship, authoritarianism, and political art. Thirty years after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan and the subsequent civil war, during a new era of political uncertainty for the embattled nation, WHAT WE LEFT UNFINISHED looks closely at the era of state-funded Afghan filmmaking during the country’s Communist era, bringing together dozens of writers, actors, and filmmakers to discuss five unfinished, unedited projects produced between 1978 and 1991.
After each regime change, leaders always saw propagandistic potential in Kabul’s rich filmgoing culture and the high quality of Afghan filmmaking. Scenes from the five never-before-seen films, beautifully restored, testify to the immense resources provided to filmmakers willing to play by certain rules. The studio politics and mishaps that accompany any film’s production here rise to the level of life-and-death conflict, as filmmakers recall coming up against the censorship of an authoritarian government, as well as unceasing threats of violence. Depicting the censorship process with astounding detail, WHAT WE LEFT UNFINISHED raises potent, eternally relevant questions about art and politics, the freedom of speech, and what happens when the truth becomes a bargaining chip.
Original Release
08/06/2021
US Release
08/06/2021
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Noor Hashim Abir | The Vain Man |
Adela Adim | The Gang-Boss's Daughter |
Latif Ahmadi | Self |
Asadollah Aram | The Father / The Gang Boss |
Zarghuna Aram | The Mother |
Nemat Arash | The Hero Cop |
Shirindad Dakkoi | Self |
Said Miran Farhad | Self |
Qader Farokh | The Gangster / The Commander / The Police Chief |
Ferida | The Ingenue |
Directors
Cast
Name | Character |
---|
Noor Hashim Abir | The Vain Man |
Adela Adim | The Gang-Boss's Daughter |
Latif Ahmadi | Self |
Asadollah Aram | The Father / The Gang Boss |
Zarghuna Aram | The Mother |
Nemat Arash | The Hero Cop |
Shirindad Dakkoi | Self |
Said Miran Farhad | Self |
Qader Farokh | The Gangster / The Commander / The Police Chief |
Ferida | The Ingenue |
Farid Feyz | The Undercover Cop / The Mujahid |
Jawanshir Haidari | Self |
Sultan Istalefi | Self |
Sabour Khanji | (archive footage) |
Wali Latifi | Self |
Lina | The Nurse |
Esturay Mangal | The Mother / The Schemer |
Faqir Nabi | Self |
Mari Omeid | (archive footage) |
Abdullah Samadi | The Artist |
Producers
Name | Role |
---|
Alysa Nahmias | Executive Producer |
Mariam Ghani | Producer |
Ali Latifi | Producer |
Alysa Nahmias | Producer |