Baghlan filmmakers work to revive decades-old film industry

BAGHLAN -- The Baghlan Union of Filmmakers and Actors is working to revive the local cinema and theatre industry following several months of stagnation and a drop in membership.

Around 200 male and female artists are registered with the union, but many members have not been active for the past year, said Afghan actor Sayed Farhad Wahdat, who was recently elected to head the union.

The union aims to "ramp up efforts to revive cinema", he said.

"I have been working with other filmmakers in Baghlan for 15 years and we have made more than 13 educational films," he said. "We also have several movies in production that will be released for our people."

"Around 200 artists, including a limited number of women, were working across Baghlan province in the past, but now only 50 artists are active," he said.

The main challenge that filmmakers in Baghlan face is a lack of budget, he said, adding that he hopes the Afghan Film Organisation and other authorities will provide additional financial support.

"We try hard to support our filmmakers and artists by co-operating with them closely," said Assadullah Mustafa Hashemi, director of the Baghlan Department of Information and Culture.

A positive impact

Mohammad Akmal Rahmani, head of the Northeast Filmmakers Union based in Kunduz, has produced 25 movies and plays for public viewership in his 20 years in the industry.

"Our artists had great achievements in the past and if they have opportunities, they can still produce great movies," he said, adding that 120 film actors were active in Kunduz in the past.

"Afghan Film has promised us that they will start production of Islamic dramas," he added.

"We will be happy if movie production activities are resumed in the country."

Cinema and theatre are critical means of mass communication as they portray the daily lives of people, their social interactions, the way they communicate within and beyond groups, and even individuals' philosophy of life.

Films and cinema can shape, change, reform or damage ideologies, perspectives and philosophies, said Mohammad Omar Rahel, a psychologist in Kunduz province.

"Watching a movie has a positive impact on the human mind," he said.

"Cinema has its audience in our country too," Rahel said.

"Although it is smaller compared to the past and with neighbouring countries, we cannot ignore cinema's deep impact on the lives of people and on social interactions."

Overcoming obstacles

The film industry in Baghlan has been active for about 40 years, and has employed many actors, filmmakers and directors who have created great films despite many challenges.

"Unfortunately, we never had an appropriate location to shoot movies," said Ainuddin Samandari, a movie actor in Baghlan province. "If we have more facilities, we can produce very good movies."

"Despite all these challenges, we used to produce movies and businessmen would buy our movies and sell them to cinemas for shows," he said.

Another obstacle is the lack of a cinema in the province. The only movie theatre in the provincial capital of Pul-e-Khumri was turned into a parking lot in 2017, according to local media.

Despite not having a public place to view films, artists have not stopped working. They share their work with viewers through social media sites including YouTube.

"We had a safe place to view our movies in the past but slowly and gradually it was taken over by powerful individuals," said Abdul Fatah Ahmadi, a film actor in Baghlan province. "We tried a lot ... to take it back without any success."

"We want the Baghlan cinema theatre ... back," he said.