Synopsis
Afghani provincial police have gathered together at an advanced training course, all in uniform, exclusively men. In front of them, however, stands a woman who introduces herself as Saba Sahar, policewoman and filmmaker. Purposefully she shows her film: dressed in bright red, she defeats the arrogant macho behaviour and fights off the violent attacks of a male supremacy using eastern style self-defence. This is the opening scene of the documentary film Kabul Dream Factory, which tells the story of an exceptional Afghani woman who fights for her emancipated utopia in the completely male dominated Afghan society. The film accompanies her as she tries to bring a new film project in Kabul to fruition. Meetings with potential financial backers and also attempts at getting idealistic support from western aid organizations mark out the beginning of the film, sketching out the positions of the western world as well as the power political structures within the country. It quickly becomes clear though, and particularly through the inclusion of scenes from Sahar’s previous films, that the film will concentrate on her as a person and not on the realisation techniques of a film project. Sahar only gradually allows us a glimpse at autobiographical experiences behind her aggressive attitude however. Only in the second half of the film, which accompanies her during filming after a year’s break, does she elaborate on her comments on the story of one of her characters which is full of totally humiliating experiences of violence against women by adding the central statement: ‘This is a true story.’ With this careful “coming-out” she lifts the Afghani-binding veil of privacy and, with her nine-month-old baby on her lap, opens herself up to an almost idyllic future at the end of the story. Her utopian dream of the autonomy of woman becomes embedded in hopes and memories as Sahar taps out the rhythm of a song by an old Afghani singer on her little daughter’s temple. Even then military aircraft threaten the tender pictures - one of the underlying hidden realities of war throughout the entire film. Production: Boekamp & Kriegsheim GmbH Riemannstr. 21 10961 Berlin, Germany tel.: +49 (0) 30-609800880 mail@boekampkriegsheim.com
