Osama

Ireland, Iran, Japan, Netherlands, Afghanistan

2003

83 Min

Color

1.85:1

Dari, English, Pashtu

Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
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PROD Siddiq Barmak, Julia Fraser, Julie LeBrocquy, Makoto Ueda

CAST Marina Golbahari, Arif Herati, Zubaida Sahar

MUSIC Mohammad Reza Darvishi

Cannes (Quinzaine des Réalisateurs): Caméra d'Or - Special Mention, Telluride, Toronto (Contemporary World Cinema), AFI FEST

Synopsis

At the beginning of the period of the Taliban take over, Afghan women were not allowed to come out into the streets unless accompanied by a man or boy. Women who had no sons or who had lost their husbands held a demonstration for the right to work, to have a place in the new society. Their demonstrations were violently suppressed. This is the story of a little girl whose mother disguises her as a boy to be able to go out into the street and look for work. –Quinzaine des Réalisateurs

Director

Siddiq Barmak

Siddiq Barmak, born September 7, 1962 in Panjshir, Afghanistan is an Afghanistani film director and producer. He received an M.A degree in cinema direction from Moscow Film Institute (VGIK) in 1987. He has written a few screenplays and has made a few short films. His first feature film Osama won Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film in 2004.

Growing up in Afghanistan, Siddiq Barmak dreamed of being a cinema projectionist, but he eventually realized that he wanted to have a more hands-on role in filmmaking, and in 1987, he got his masters in film direction from the Moscow University. He returned to Afghanistan where in 1988, he made his first documentary short film, called The Disaster of Withering, and in 1991, he filmed his first full-length documentary: The Hadith of Conquer. From 1992 to 1996 Siddiq was head of the Afghan Film Organization while living in Kabul, but when the Taliban took control, filmmaking was banned, and Barmak was forced to escape first to the north… read more

Siddiq Barmak, born September 7, 1962 in Panjshir, Afghanistan is an Afghanistani film director and producer. He received an M.A degree in cinema direction from Moscow Film Institute (VGIK) in 1987. He has written a few screenplays and has made a few short films. His first feature film Osama won Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film in 2004.

Growing up in Afghanistan, Siddiq Barmak dreamed of being a cinema projectionist, but he eventually realized that he wanted to have a more hands-on role in filmmaking, and in 1987, he got his masters in film direction from the Moscow University. He returned to Afghanistan where in 1988, he made his first documentary short film, called The Disaster of Withering, and in 1991, he filmed his first full-length documentary: The Hadith of Conquer. From 1992 to 1996 Siddiq was head of the Afghan Film Organization while living in Kabul, but when the Taliban took control, filmmaking was banned, and Barmak was forced to escape first to the north, then eventually to Pakistan. Returning in 2001 after an American-led invasion brought about the collapse of Taliban, Siddiq re-established the Afghan Film Organization and went on to found the Buddha Film Organization. Unfortunately, all of Siddiq’s previous works were confiscated and destroyed during the Taliban regime. Among his film credits is the Dari language film Urooj that depicts the Afghan resistance against the 1979 to 1989 invasion of the Soviet Union.

Barmak decided to write and direct his first feature film, Osama (2003), after hearing a true story about a girl in Afghan who disguised herself as a boy during the Taliban regime so she could attend school. Barmak decided to use non-professional actors in the film and searched orphanages and refugee camps for his cast. He found a 12-year-old girl, Marina Golbahari, to play his main character on the street after she approached him to ask for spare change. Osama (2003) has won awards all over the world, including a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film.

(http://www.terober.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=135:siddiq-barmak&catid=31:general&Itemid=46)

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