An epic story of boyhood and manhood, in a land ravaged by war.

From award-winning filmmakers Grabsky and Sharifim, the film follows the life of Mir Hussain for a twenty-year period in one of the most embattled corners of the globe.

We first meet Mir, a boy of eight, playing among the ruins of the Buddhas of Bamiyan in war-torn rural Afghanistan, treating the destruction around him as a wonderful playground.

The weight of the World Trade Centre attacks is being felt as US troops arrive thus beginning a seemingly endless war in one of the world’s poorest countries. Mir is followed over the next two decades, telling a personal story of the poverty, destruction, aspiration, and progress that colours Afghan life today.

Two decades after 9/11 and the subsequent ‘War on Terror’, Mir’s story offers a personal insight into one of the most devastating conflicts of the 21st Century. After a trillion dollars spent by 40 countries and 150,000 lives lost, the film asks: was it worth it for Mir, his country, and the world?

With two BAFTA nominations, the film won Best Documentary 2021 Valladolid International Film Festival.

Reviews

“…its decades-long portrait of a young man struggling to survive amidst difficult circumstances proves deeply moving,” – The Hollywood Reporter

NZ Premiere

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VIRTUAL Q&A 

Fri 10 June, 9.30 pm with Director, Phil Grabsky