Sahraa Karimi

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Sahraa Karimi
Sahraa Karimi 2019.jpg
Sahraa Karimi in 2019
Born (1985-05-20) 20 May 1985 (age 36)[1]
Tehran, Iran
NationalityAfghan, Slovak
EducationBachelor's, Master's and PhD from Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava
Known for
  • First female general director of Afghan Film in 2019
  • Directing Hava, Maryam, Ayesha (2019)

Sahraa Karimi (Pashto: صحرا كريمي; born 20 May 1985) is an Afghan film director and the first female chairperson of the Afghan Film Organisation (Afghan Film).[2][3] She has directed 30 short films, 3 documentary films and one fiction film " Hava, Maryam, Ayesha " which has the world premier at 76th Venice Film Festival

She has a PhD from the Film and Television Faculty of the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Bratislava. Prior to fleeing Afghanistan during the 2021 fall of Kabul, she was the first and the only woman in Afghanistan to have a PhD in cinema and filmmaking.[2][4][5][6]

Background[]

Karimi was raised in Tehran,[7][8][9][10] educated in Slovakia,[11] and went back to Afghanistan in 2012 where she lived and worked until her escape from the country in 2021 during the fall of Kabul.[12][6] She received her PhD degree in the field of Cinema (Fiction Film Directing & Screenwriting) from the Film and Television Faculty of the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Bratislava.[12] Light Breeze, a documentary she made during her time in the academy, went on to win as the Best Short Fiction Film at the Sun in a Net Awards (the highest film awards in Slovakia).[1]

On returning to Afghanistan, she helped open Kapila Multimedia House to promote independent Afghan filmmakers.[13] In 2019, she became the first female chairperson of the government-owned Afghan Film since it began in 1968. She was the only woman to apply for the job, and was competing against four others, all of whom were men.[14]

Her first professional work was a documentary, Searching for Dream, which was exhibited at the Dhaka International Film Festival in 2006. Her other notable works include Afghan Women behind the Wheel, which won around 20 awards at major film festivals, including Academy awards in Slovakia and the best documentary film award at the 13th Dhaka International Film Festival.[15][16] In 2019 she directed the film Hava, Maryam, Ayesha, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and was nominated for an Orizzonti/ Horizon Prize (award for Best Film).[17]

Karimi was the leading organizer of protests against Kabul Municipality's plans to demolish the once famous Cinema Park in the city. She and cultural activists and filmmakers were against the destruction of the 1950s cinema that fell into disarray, calling it "catastrophic" to the city's culture and history.[18][19] The demolition went ahead in November 2020 and Karimi had to be forcibly moved by police from the cinema to allow it to take place. A photo of her weeping as the demolishers came went viral on social media.[20]

In August 2021, following the fall of Kabul to Taliban, she mentioned: "I went to the bank to get some money; they closed and evacuated. I still cannot believe this happened", adding, "They are coming to kill us".[21] Later, she was evacuated from Kabul to Kyiv, Ukraine along with 11 individuals, thereafter writing: "My dear friends do not worry, I am fine and safe".[22][23]

Works[]

  • Hava, Maryam, Ayesha (2019)[3]
  • Parlika (2016)[15]
  • Afghan Women Behind the Wheel (2009)[15]

References[]

  1. ^ a b "Sahraa Karimi". Bratislava International Film Festival. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  2. ^ a b Atakpal, Haseba (19 May 2019). "Sahraa Karimi To Lead Afghan Film As First Female Chairperson". TOLOnews. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  3. ^ a b Vourlias, Christopher (30 August 2019). "Filmmaker Sahraa Karimi Defies Odds With Kabul-Set Drama 'Hava, Maryam, Ayesha'". Variety. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  4. ^ Hamid, Tamim (19 May 2019). "Angelina Jolie Describes Sahraa Karimi's Appointment As Historic". TOLOnews. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  5. ^ Mehmood, Arshad (21 May 2019). "Exclusive: Afghanistan Appoints Woman to Head State-run Film Company". The Media Line. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  6. ^ a b Welle, Deutsche. "Escape from Kabul: Afghan director Sahraa Karimi recounts her experience". Frontline. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Core of Iran Noruz in family: Afghan filmmaker Sahraa Karimi". Tehran Times. 24 March 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  8. ^ "گفت‌وگو با صحرا کریمی، فیلم‌ساز افغان:وقتی کنار آقای بیضایی قرار گرفته بودم از شدت هیجان اشک می‌ریختم | پایگاه خبری تحلیلی سینما سینما". cinemacinema.ir. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  9. ^ "صحرا کریمی رییس 'افغان فیلم' شد". www.afghanpaper.com. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  10. ^ "Jolie congratulates Karimi for her historic appointment as the director of Afghan Film". The Frontier Post. 19 May 2019. Retrieved 14 September 2019.
  11. ^ Rezapoor, Manijeh (24 March 2019). "Core of Iran Noruz in family: Afghan filmmaker Sahraa Karimi". Tehran Times. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  12. ^ a b "Sahraa Karimi". Asia Peace Film Festival. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  13. ^ "Sahraa Karimi: "The taste of freedom is a powerful antidote to oppression"". International Federation for Human Rights. 18 March 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  14. ^ Salahuddin, Sayed (16 May 2019). "Afghan film body gets its first female boss". Arab News. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  15. ^ a b c "Parlika". Bratislava International Film Festival. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  16. ^ Chatak, Hasan Mansoor (11 January 2014). "Sahraa Karimi: Woman's storytelling technique varies greatly from that of a man's". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  17. ^ Frater, Patrick (6 September 2019). "Venice: Angelina Jolie Gives Shout-Out to Afghan Film 'Hava, Maryam, Ayesha'". Variety. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  18. ^ https://www.khaama.com/sahraa-karimi-sorry-for-demolition-of-cinema-park-unable-to-change-govt-decision-34534/
  19. ^ https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-asia-55084944
  20. ^ https://www.thenationalnews.com/arts-culture/art/cinema-park-filmmakers-mourn-as-70-year-old-afghan-cinema-is-demolished-1.1119856
  21. ^ "Afghan filmmaker Sahraa Karimi's video of running around Kabul goes viral: 'They are coming to kill us'". Independent. 17 August 2021.
  22. ^ "Afghan Filmmaker Sahraa Karimi Says She Has Been Evacuated From Kabul". Deadline. 17 August 2021.
  23. ^ "Afghan film director recounts escape from Kabul". Reuters. 18 August 2021.

External links[]

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