John Gianvito, Jon Jost, various
Far From Afghanistan
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Add rightsFormat DVD Interzone
Original format digital
Year 2012
Language(s) English
Artist(s) John Gianvito, Jon Jost, Minda Martin, Travis Wilkerson, Soon-Mi Yoo
Running time 129 min
Films
FAR FROM AFGHANISTAN (2012), 129'
Description
A collective film made by five American filmmakers and a collective of young Afghan journalists, Far From Afghanistan forms a mosaic of cinematic approaches that cast a critical eye on the longest foreign war in United States history.
Inspired by the collaborative film Loin Du Vietnam, released in 1967, Far From Afghanistan also brings together diverse filmmakers, directors of photography, editors and technicians as part of an international effort to redirect American policy away from military and political intervention toward genuine humanitarian and development aid, as has been called for.
The different segments explore in depth the consequences of war on Afghans and Americans, and are supported by reports and interviews conducted by members of Afghan Voices. The distinct vision and artistic approaches of each segment, drawn from the established filmmaking practice of the segment's director, are unified under the editorial touch of Gianvito, Pacho Velez (The American Sector, The Reagan Show) and Rob Todd. More than a simple account of protest or critique of American propaganda, Far from Afghanistan puts collective documentary practices at the service of multivocal and distributed activism.
Festivals
Festival international du film de Locarno, official selection
Festival international du film de Toronto, official selection
CPH:DOX, official selection
Reviews
"This passionate and multifaceted look at the United States' ongoing involvement in Afghanistan (and their denial about it) takes us to many places where other filmmakers and spectators fear to venture, inside and outside the country, showing us the deep connections between what we do and what we choose to ignore." -Jonathan Rosenbaum
"... a kind of definitive statement on an uncontrollable global catastrophe." - Michael Atkinson, The Boston Phoenix
"... an experimental, esoteric and brilliant film." - Michael Moore
"... brilliant, poetic and appropriately cold. I was blown away by this film and by the relentlessness of its exploration." - Fanny Howe
Radically free in its form, stimulating in its indignation and incisive in its perception of the toll war takes on its victims, its participants and society as a whole, FAR FROM AFGHANISTAN is a cinematic cry from the heart of vital importance." – Anthology Film Archives