[Lee Jong-gil's Movie Reading] Can You See the Hidden Tears Behind the Burqa?

Two Films Highlighting Women's Rights Under the Taliban
'Kandahar': A Sister's Journey to Rescue... Tragic Reality in a Prison-like Hometown
'Parvana: Tears of Afghanistan' Portrays Dreams and Friendship Amid Despair

The Taliban emerged on the Afghan battlefield in 1994. The first leader, Mullah Muhammad Omar, was running a madrasa (Islamic school) in the village of Shinkay Sar, west of Kandahar. He was a former mujahideen who resisted the Soviet army. He was wounded four times in guerrilla warfare, losing sight in his right eye. After the communist regime collapsed, the mujahideen split and suffered internal strife. Omar and his comrades lamented the corruption of the organization they belonged to. They sympathized with the suffering of their neighbors and agreed that some action was necessary.

At that time, a mujahideen commander abducted two girls in Shinkay Sar village, forcibly shaved their heads, and raped them. Responding to the villagers' pleas, Omar gathered about thirty madrasa students. Armed with only sixteen rifles, they attacked the mujahideen base. They rescued the girls and hanged the mujahideen commander from a tank barrel. Later, Omar recalled, "We fought against corrupt Muslims. How could we stand by when such crimes were committed against women and the poor?"

The news of the rescue spread rapidly. People called Omar's group "Taliban," meaning "students" (of the madrasa). Taliban is the plural form of "Talib," originally meaning seeker of knowledge. It is also used to refer to madrasa students. The Taliban declared their intention to establish Islam properly in Afghanistan. Madrasa students from Afghanistan and Pakistan eagerly joined the group.

The Taliban, which had grown considerably, ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. However, they gained notoriety comparable to the mujahideen due to their strict Islamic law enforcement and human rights abuses. They routinely amputated the hands and feet of thieves, flogged offenders, and publicly stoned adulterers to death. All men were required to grow long beards. Women’s movements outside the home were strictly prohibited. If discovered, they were subjected to merciless mob violence. Women had to keep windows closed at home to avoid being seen outside. Some, unable to endure this, chose suicide.

The Taliban’s oppression of women’s rights significantly contributed to international condemnation. When the Taliban seized Kabul on the 15th, regaining power after 20 years, voices of concern poured in from all corners. The world was already well aware of their anti-civilizational atrocities. Films played a notable role in this awareness. "Kandahar (2001)," available on Watcha, is a representative work. It depicts the arduous journey of Nafas (Niloufar Pazira), an Afghan living in Canada, who heads to Kandahar to rescue her sister in distress.

The film gained significant attention when it premiered in New York shortly after the 9/11 attacks. Based on a true story and presented in a documentary style, it received mixed reviews. Despite good intentions, it was criticized for its overly negative portrayal of Afghanistan. Some argued it endorsed the political and religious views of Iran, which despises the Taliban. Although it won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival, many felt that the film, directed by internationally recognized Mohsen Makhmalbaf, was formally clumsy.

The title "Kandahar" refers to the Taliban’s stronghold. At the time, it symbolized the oppression and tragedy in Afghanistan. However, an old Persian proverb says, "Where are you going?" "To Kandahar." It is used to describe a long and arduous journey. Nafas’s journey needs no further explanation. As the narration at the beginning and end states, "I have always avoided all prisons of Afghan women, but today I am trapped in each one again. My sister, just for you."

The homeland before her eyes is nothing but a prison. A male teacher tells girls over eight years old, who must live confined at home, to live like ants. Boys grow up memorizing the Quran, becoming instruments of murder. All are steeped in extreme poverty and sickness. Nafas drinks contaminated well water and suffers stomach pain. She seeks a temporary hospital but cannot meet Dr. Sahib (Hasan Tantawi) directly. She must explain her symptoms through a young guide, Kak (Sado Temuri), behind a curtain.

To reach Kandahar, Nafas even disguises herself as the fourth wife of an elderly Afghan man. When there is no sign of departure, she removes her burqa (a traditional garment covering from head to ankle) and urges him on. "I have no time!" "Put your burqa on first. It’s a matter of honor. We are devout people. No man should see his wife’s face. The burqa is not an ornament but a veil made to cover." "Fine, I’ll wear it. But I’m not your real wife." "Yes, you’re not. But how could I bear people’s gossip? The burqa is not decoration; it’s a matter of my honor."

The Netflix animated film "Parvana: The Breadwinner" expresses this reality in a fairy-tale manner. The original title means "The Breadwinner." It portrays a young angel who endures and does not lose her dreams even in a hopeless situation where hope is scarce. Eleven-year-old Parvana (Sara Choudhry) reads and writes letters for her father, Nurullah (Ali Badshah), in Kabul. When Nurullah is taken by the Taliban, her life is completely overturned. Without a man, women cannot leave the house, and the family’s livelihood becomes uncertain. Parvana cuts her hair and disguises herself as a boy to act as the breadwinner.

In the marketplace, where she works, there is another girl in a similar situation, Shauzia (Soma Chhaya). Her male name is Delawar. When Parvana suggests that her male name should be Otesi, Shauzia chuckles. "You’re neither a boy nor a girl." In a world ruled by the Taliban, the two become neither female nor male but exist solely to survive. They must cross the boundaries of identity to do even menial work. Yet, they never forget. When they part ways due to different destinations, they call each other by their real names to confirm their true feelings. They vow to reunite twenty years later on a beach where the moon pulls the sea. Will the promise be kept?

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.