FFF Osama SG

Osama Study Guide Alicia McGivern fresh film festival 2005 1 Osama Osama Introduction Questions dir. Siddaq Barmak/ Osama is a film about life for a young Mulan is another film where the Afghanistan-Netherlands-Japan-Ireland- girl under Taliban rule in Afghanistan, central character must change her Iran/83mins/2003 the home of director and writer, Siddiq identity in order to survive. Do you Barmak. Said to be the first film know this film? Describe the story Cast produced in the country since this and compare with Osama. Marina Golbahari Osama extreme religious regime was ousted in Can you think of any other films in Arif Herati Espandi 2002, it premiered at Cannes in 2003 which the central character has to Zubaida Sahar Mother and went on to win a Golden Globe for change their identity? Best Foreign Film in 2004. The film What do you know about Afghanistan? Other cast opens with a quote from Nelson Brainstorm with your class. Mohamad NadUer Khadjeh Mandela - ‘I cannot forget, but I will Mohamad Haref Harati forgive’, which serves to entice the Director Gol Rahman Ghorbandi viewer to speculate on the story as Siddiq Barmak’s filmmaking career Khwaja Nader well as suggest an indictment of the can be seen as a reflection of recent Hamida Refah system on which the story is based. Afghan history. His early interest in The film tells the story of a cinema began in the Park Cinema in Production young girl who has to reinvent herself Kabul. Some 30 years later he Production Designer Akbar Meshkini in order to survive. Living under a observed the Taliban burning film Sound Faroukh Fadace, regime that prohibits her from going to reels in front of the same place. The Behroz Shahamat school and her widowed mother from Park is one of the few cinemas in Original Music working, she dresses as a boy and Afghanistan where his own film Osama Mohammad Reza Darvishi gets a job in a local shop in order to has been shown. Barmak is a central Editor Siddiq Barmak provide for the family. When forced to figure in the rebuilding of Afghan Cinematography Ebrahim Ghafori attend scripture school, other boys cinema. Osama is his own first full- Screenplay Siddiq Barmak torment her and we observe her length feature and the first Afghan Producer Siddiq Barmak conflict as she struggles to hide her feature to be made since the fall of Julia Fraser identity as well as come to terms with the Taliban in 2001. It marks him as a Julie LeBrocquy the enforced passage of her childhood. distinct talent who uses film as a Makoto Ueda While the film does tackle the means of engaging with the political Executive producer plight of women under the Taliban, it is and social realities of his country. Mohsen Makhmalbaf memorable mostly for its striking Born in Kabul, Barmak was Director Siddiq Barmak imagery. This imagery contributes to the making films by the age of 10, using Production Companies Barmak Film, sparse narrative, which relies less on bits of commercial reels salvaged Hubert Balls Fund of the dialogue than on visual storytelling for from cinemas. At the age of 16, he Rotterdam Film Festival its impact. Images of a sodden blue got a job as a sound recordist with LeBrocquy Fraser Productions burka being forced along the street by a the state body, Afghan Film. He then powerhose, a single lock of hair being became second assistant director planted in a pot and being fed by an IV and made his first 8mm short about a drip, or the imprisoned child Osama young billiard player. Despite his looking out at herself skipping in the hatred of the Russians’ invasion of yard all contribute to this harrowing his country, he took the chance to portrait of life under an extreme regime. study film in Moscow and he lived and Director Barmak has long been worked there till 1987. Barmaks’ involved in Afghan filmmaking. It is his conflict with the censors began with hope that Osama will inspire a new his graduation film, which was banned generation to reflect their stories in for being too anti-Soviet as was his films that the world will want to see next film in Kabul where he was and that will contribute to the cultural conscripted to make propaganda. He rebuilding of his country. was then sent to the front line but 2 fresh film festival 2005 Osama deserted to join one of the cinematic style has much in common and the future. He wants them to be Mojahedin1 groups. Barmak travelled with Makhmalbaf’s own films, such comedies, as he says ‘I really want to for months to try and get film finance as Kandahar, and that of his see our people laughing’. and returned to Kabul in 1992 with daughter, Samira Makhmalbaf, whose the victorious Mojahedin. film At Five in the Afternoon is about Questions Unfortunately, fighting between women in post-Taliban Kabul. All From reading about Barmak’s life, groups continued till the Taliban three films were shot by cameraman what kind of films would you expect moved in in 1996. Barmak fled with Ebrahim Ghafuri. him to make? his wife and son to the north before Since Osama premiered in Do you know of any Irish film-maker fleeing to exile in Pakistan. Cannes, Barmak has announced who tries to make films that reflect Returning to Kabul after the several new film projects. He has the country’s history? Taliban, Barmak along with other film- taken over as head of ACEM – Afghan makers, worked for a revival of Children Education Movement – which 1 See Brief History of Afghanistan Afghan cinema, to make films for Makhmalbaf had set up to address Afghan people. Key to the making of the lack of education for Afghan First Look Osama was support from Iranian refugees in Iran. ACEM has funded A certain amount of a film’s budget director and producer Mohsen several short films and encouraged will be spent on publicity and Makhmalbaf who has dedicated young Afghan filmmakers, as well as marketing. This will include trailers, himself to the regeneration of direct funding towards Osama. The posters, advertisements. The film will Afghanistan and its cinema. Critics of film was an Afghan, Dutch, Irish, be publicised in order to raise its Osama have said that it is in fact too Japanese and Iranian production. profile and attract an audience. Iranian influenced. Whatever about Barmak is currently working on The poster for Osama contains this, there is no doubt that Barmak’s two scripts, set alternately in the past a figure who faces the camera, fresh film festival 2005 3 Osama flanked by several other people figures in the poster? fairytale about a boy passing under a wearing blue burkas which appear to What kind of audience do you think rainbow and changing into a girl to avoid cover them from head to toe. The would be attracted to this film? work. The girl’s hair is cut off and when central figure is wearing dark clothing Explain your answer. she awakens the next day, she dresses which contrasts with the other blue After you have watched the film, do you as a boy, now named Osama, and garments. The background is yellow. think the poster was effective? Why/not? plants a lock of her hair in a flower-pot. What kind of poster would you choose The Taliban are on patrol as the for this film? woman and her daughter walk to the hospital where people mourn the death Synopsis of a patient. Osama removes the drip The film opens with a quote in Arabic and carries it home. Next morning the translated as ‘I can forgive but I boy with the incense burner recognises cannot forget – Nelson Mandela’. We her and threatens to tell on her. They hear a squeaking sound from a can. A go to a shop where the mother asks point of view shot of a dilapidated the owner for a job for her daughter street shows a boy waving this whose identity she reveals. When a incense burner and offering spells for Taliban arrives at the shop, the two money. He speaks directly to the females have to hide in the back. Next camera and the filmmaker. Two day, while at work, Osama goes to women in burkas rush by, a cart prayer with the owner and learns how to loaded with melons is pushed perform ablutions. A Taliban watches hurriedly along the street. A crowd of her closely from behind. On her way women are revealed, walking towards home with a melon and other food she the camera in demonstration, is convinced she is being followed. She demanding the right to work. There runs down the street which is empty, are shouts that the Taliban are her footsteps echoing loudly. At the coming, and then they appear, driving house, her mother looks out and there Questions through the streets, turning hoses on is no-one there. She accuses her Look at the poster for the film, the crowd. Panic and confusion daughter of attracting attention and Osama. What is your first impression ensues, a woman, girl and the boy proceeds to hide family memorabilia for of this film? rush into a house. Outside women are fear of a raid. Again, the grandmother Describe the different elements of the arrested and thrown into a cage while tells a story to soothe Osama. poster. What do you think the film the creaking can echoes again. Next day, a Taliban arrives at could be about? Which elements of Outside a hospital, people are the shop and demands that as a boy the poster suggest this to you? What leaving and we learn that it is to be she must attend scripture classes.

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