In Her Hands (2022) Movie Script
1
Oh my God. Oh my God.
Oh my God. Wait, wait.
They are here.
There's now more urgency
than ever to get those in danger
out ofAfghanistan
amid reports that the Taliban
are now going door-to-door
in an attempt to find
people on their blacklist.
Dear God!
Bashir!
I won't leave you here.
I won't leave.
I won't go anywhere without you.
Either we go together
or we won't go at all.
It's cost
two trillion dollars
and many thousands of lives,
but America's longest war
may finally be nearing an end.
Twenty years have passed
since a US-led invasion
ended the Taliban's
brutal rule in Afghanistan.
Now the Taliban and the US
are negotiating inQatar.
The mayor
of Maidan Wardak, Zarifa Ghafari,
is here to speak.
For 50 years,
war has been imposed on Afghans.
We don't want any more war.
Stand beside your sisters.
Let them be educated
so that both men and women
can rebuild the country together.
Young people, you must work for it.
Study and work. Compete with your peers.
Drop the weapon and take up a pen.
This country will be built by the pen
and by education.
- We want security!
- We want it!
- We want education!
- We want it!
- We want peace!
- We want peace!
- We want peace!
- We want peace!
- We want security!
- We want security!
- We want security!
- We want security!
- We want peace!
- We want peace!
Let's all work together.
Both men and women,
be courageous and stand together.
If we work hard and try our best,
we can build this country ourselves.
Long live Afghanistan!
Long live Afghanistan!
I applied to be the mayor
of Maidan Wardak.
And from the first day
I applied for the position,
I encountered problems.
For nine months,
people tried to prevent my appointment.
But I did not give up.
Men have had their chance here
for the last 40 or 50 years.
What have they achieved? Nothing.
There are no female mayors
in other provinces. Why in Maidan?
A woman! Aren't there enough men?
Our men are as strong as trees.
She should stay at home,
cook and do housework.
Look after the kids.
Not boss us around like this.
Please sign it,
so I can take it to the governor's office.
Put the chair there. Welcome. How are you?
Good morning, everyone.
I hope you are all okay.
I'm glad to see so many of you present.
This is the only office working like this
out of all the others in the province.
I want to fight
for women's education rights here.
And I will work for this.
And I won't be leavinghere
until you are all totally sick of me.
Signed.
The US
and Taliban have recently completed
their latest round of peace negotiations
with the aim of ending
the war in Afghanistan
and signing an agreement
for permanent peace.
The Taliban
wants to make a deal.
We'll see if they wanna make a deal.
It's got to be a real deal, but we'll see.
God damn this situation.
Damn it!
In the name of Allah. May God protect us.
I am
Mayor Zarifa Ghafari's driver,
and I guard her 24/7.
And I'm very happy
to be serving a woman
who so completely serves her country
and her people.
After we pass these deserts,
we'll feel safer.
Slow down. Drive slowly.
Cars are heading towards us.
I drive
above the speed limit,
one hand on the steering wheel,
one on my pistol,
because the road
I drive Zarifa on every day
between Kabul and Maidan Shar
is controlled by the Taliban.
She is a champion
for me and our people.
I live every second of my life
with the memory of her.
This is a letter I received
from the Taliban that says,
"Miss Zarifa Ghafari,
As-Salaam-Alaikum."
"You're continuing to do pagan works
in spite of our warnings,
and in the name of democracy
you are spreading vice in our society."
"For the last time,
we order you
to leave MaidanWardak in a week."
"Refusing to do so
will result in your assassination."
But I haven't left
Maidan Wardak yet.
Hm.
This was sent in November 2017.
Now it's 2020 and I'm still working.
I'm still alive,
and, God willing, it will stay that way.
Walk around, my little baby.
Go on. Hurry up!
Hurry up! You can do it.
When I first met Zarifa,
I really wanted to help her.
I considered her my sister,
from the bottom of my heart.
Zarifa is fighting
for freedom of speech in her country.
For women's rights, for human rights.
But within the Islamic framework.
- How long have you been here?
- Since last night.
What should I do, my dear?
Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.
Take this, please.
Bless you!
Her enemies say
that what she is doing is blasphemous.
We have been living here
for five years.
In five years, not a single government
vehicle has come into this area.
They haven't crossed the main road
to get here.
We decide everything here.
Any fighting or killing is punished by us.
The government doesn't exist here.
As-Salaam-Alaikum.
All good?
The government
has failed the people of Afghanistan.
Ask the people here whether the government
has done anything for them.
We are from this country
and we will serve it.
Brave mujahideen!
Until we establish Islamic rule
across the whole planet,
we will not surrender to anyone.
I have been put here to fight people.
I have been instructed to kill people.
To destroy people, behead people.
Until they believe
there is no god but Allah.
Ah.
I have been fighting
in these mountains
since the US invasion in 2001.
Look at me, I am 36 years old,
but everyone thinks
I am 40 or 50 years old.
We are fighting for pure Sharia law
in this country.
If you cut off one hand,
others will refrain from stealing.
If you crush one person under a wall,
no one will commit homosexuality.
If one person is stoned,
no one will commit fornication.
This is the righteous way,
which will lead us forward.
I remember, when I was a child
during the Taliban rule,
one day the Taliban tooka woman
to Chaman Hozori stadium.
They made her wear a blue burka.
A man stood next to her
and shot her in the head
with a Kalashnikov.
I witnessed this when I was just a kid.
We will witness these horrors again.
The horror of the Taliban.
The fear of the Taliban.
See how we stop our enemies
in Afghanistan.
We pack the car with explosives
and park it in the desert.
Then they come to see whose car it is.
Then the car explodes.
Did it become unsafe
like it has been in the last 40 years
because a woman likeZarifa Ghafari
walks freely around the province?
Her husband should accompany her.
There should not be vice in this country.
God tells us
to kill them without hesitation.
We're getting closer to the checkpoint.
That side is the government.
That's the city. This doesn't work there.
If we have this, they will arrest us.
They will say
the Taliban have entered the city.
And now they will say, "No Taliban."
Hello. How are you?
Where are you coming from?
We have to move from this flat
as soon as possible.
- It's an emergency. It's out of control.
- What do you mean?
We're being followed.
I'm being followed because of you.
We are all being followed.
- Hm.
- I have to be extra careful.
Why didn't you inform me earlier?
Because I didn't want you to be afraid.
It's bad. We have to move
before they kill us.
Pick it up
from the bottom, Bashir.
One of you hold it from the top.
- Should we do it now or later?
- No. No.
Let's put it on top.
Look at what she has!
Mister, take this and put it over there.
Don't ruin it. One minute!
The carpets are washed,
be careful. Hurry up.
Sometimes it is difficult.
When you realise
someone is going to hurt you,
someone is following you
or tryingto make trouble for you.
It is very tough.
But this is life in Afghanistan.
You just have to accept it.
Women like me,
we like to have self-confidence.
In Afghanistan, if a woman
doesn't know how to drive,
especially now,
it must mean
her hands and legs are broken!
Don't put more weight.
Did you carry all of that upstairs?
No, don't do that.
No, come on.
Okay, give it to me. Bring it here.
- Give it to me.
- No, it's very heavy.
Kabul has been rebuilt
so beautifully. It looks awesome.
Show it to him.
Let him also see Kabul. Look!
Oh.
Look at how beautiful Kabul is.
My homeland
My pride is my love for you
My homeland
I will sacrifice myself for you
Homeland, wherever I will be
You will give me soul and spirit
- We came from this way, right?
- Yes, we did.
Wow, what a car you have!
Nice to meet you.
Oh, yes... What is your name? Mohammad?
- Is your name Mohammad?
- Yes.
- Is she his sister?
- Yes.
They also have a younger brother,
younger than them.
- She can't see anything?
- No, nothing at all.
God bless you, sir,
for your hard work.
Please recite a verse by heart.
I seek refuge in Allah
from the outcast Shaitan
in the name of Allah
the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful...
The Taliban doesn't want
the people of Afghanistan,
and particularly Afghan women,
to become educated.
Because education
is against all those things they believe.
Because educated people ask questions,
and they are afraid of questions.
Whenever I meet people
from different communities,
I ask them to educate their children
because education is the only way
out of this situation in Afghanistan.
Hello, how are you?
Are you well?
We thank you for coming here.
Thank you.
Our girls do study. There...
There are some classes.
As a girl, I studied.
I have a bachelor's and a master's degree.
When I was studying, I had to walk
an hour each way to my school in Paktika.
There were many
suicide attacks and fights.
My father told me not to go anymore.
So I started going to school secretly.
I was going to school in secret
after he went to the office.
It was my lifetime dream
to see that my parents are proud
of my reputation and my achievements.
So please educate your daughters
and send them to school.
If you educate one girl or woman,
you save ten generations.
Who wants
to give me an example?
In the name of Allah,
do you have potato chips?
"Exclamatory" means "surprise."
You surprise someone.
Education is the key
to a country's development.
This is the battle
between ignorance and knowledge.
The battle between light and dark.
You know, Mum,
I swear, sometimes
I don't want to get out of bed,
but I get up and get on with it
because I have to.
Oh, yes.
In this country, anyone who works
with honesty is soon murdered.
Unfortunately, that's how it is.
May God protect you.
You must take care of yourself.
My dad is a military officer
who thinks the home is a military base.
He gives the orders,
and we're part of his battalion.
I had to make my father believe
that I was capable.
I always had to fight
against my dad's behaviour and mindset,
even about me going to university.
At least I changed my father's mindset.
I think that
is the biggest achievement of my life.
My flight is from here to Dubai,
Dubai to France,
and from France to the US, Washington, DC.
Me and the whole nation
are so proud of you.
The US has signed
a peace deal with the Taliban.
President Trump has said that US troops
will leave Afghanistan entirely
if the Taliban cease their violence
towards US forces.
Bashir, the only thing
that is a bit positive in this agreement
is that if either party
violates the agreement,
then it will be terminated.
Do a campaign there. Havefaith in God.
Your voice is powerful.
Your words and messages must be heard.
You must not cry, or I won't go.
No, no. Go.
Our office is so proud
to work with our colleagues
from across the world
to select a remarkable group of women
who exemplify
exceptional courage and leadership
in advocating for human rights,
women's equality and social progress,
often at great personal risk.
Zarifa Ghafari,
the first woman mayor,
along with ten other women
from different parts of the world,
was selected
for the Women of Courage award
by the department of foreign affairs
of the United States.
My name is Zarifa Ghafari.
Actually I'm not a hero.
I'm just the mayor of Maidan Shar.
Women of my generation have not forgotten
the reign of the Taliban,
and we are worried for the future.
Let me ask for your continued support
to ensure that the Afghan peace process
does not erase
the gains that have been made
since the dark days of the Taliban regime.
That this bravery award
was received, at a global level,
by Zarifa Ghafari, mayor of MaidanWardak,
represents a fundamental change
in our political system.
Hi, dear Bashir.
The president said my name
at the parliament inauguration ceremony!
He said that I was a brave woman!
And that I have made
the whole nation proud!
Love you! Love you!
Wow! Wow! Wow!
I am so, so, so proud.
You're the pride of the nation
and that's enough.
You won't die unless we are dead.
First, I will die and then you.
Then, we both will enter paradise
and live there forever, okay?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
My fianc Bashir...
My dear Bashir...
Bashir is why I smile.
When he realised
that I had found my mission in life,
he stood beside me,
and he has encouraged me in all my work.
He has applauded, enjoyed, and celebrated.
- This one is beautiful.
- Mm.
These are childish.
I don't like them at all, none of them.
This is all of them. This one.
Who expected this would happen so soon?
Please get closer.
I am here
to select my wedding dress.
It's amazing for me.
I am perhaps
the luckiest Afghan woman
to have a partner like him.
Look at my little baby.
Why?
What do you mean, Dad?
What do you mean?
So I will just get
a house for myself, Dad.
Okay. Thank you.
You know,
I am dealing with shits around.
Seriously.
I'm not a kid.
He's of that old mindset
that the groom shouldn't come to my house
until we are married.
The tradition is
to accompany the bride to her house,
party there for a bit and then leave.
Isn't it?
Now my dad is saying
that he doesn't want this.
What do you really want, Dad?
Just tell me.
There's no reason.
Just do what I told you to.
No, Dad. This is my life, for God's sake.
What's the reason? What do you want?
Unless you are married,
he shouldn't come to my house. That's all!
What do you mean?
Are you kicking me out of the house?
Are you kicking me out of the house?
Is it your house?
You know, life is much harder
than anyone can imagine.
Especially the life of a girl
who wants to have everything.
Who wants to do everything by herself.
She is stopped
from the moment she leaves home
until she gets to a position of power.
It's difficult.
I live in a society where I even
have to fight against my dad's thoughts.
I even have to make my dad understand
that I am a human.
Today, Zarifa Ghafari,
the mayor of Maidan Wardak,
survived an attack.
She said that on her way home
from Maidan Wardak,
a car opened fire at her
in theKhushal Khan area of Kabul.
My fianc was with me
and was driving.
They opened fire on us
before we were able
to fire our gun back.
This is just one
of many attacks in recent weeks.
The Taliban have been targeting
government officials in the capital
in an effort to show the people
that the government has lost control.
Who's that?
- Come on in. How are you?
- Greetings. How are you?
I have to tell you
something important.
The Haqqani network wants to harm us.
Initially, I didn't take it seriously,
but since receiving this call,
I know it's serious.
Uh...
They said they would share it
with other departments too.
But it's important
that you take some measures yourself.
May God protect us.
We should be extra careful.
Abdul Wasi Ghafari,
the father of Zarifa Ghafari,
the mayor of Maidan Wardak province,
and a strike force commander
at the Ministry of Defence,
was assassinated yesterday by gunmen
outside his house in Kabul.
Let the funeral car pass.
Uncle!
Can I see him once more, please?
- She's already seen him.
- I want to see him one last time.
Okay,
go in from that side.
Wait. From this side.
Rest in peace. We are here.
We'll take care of everything.
You're a martyr, a hero!
We'll take care of it, Dad!
Come on, hop off.
Come on, my dear! People are waiting.
Come on, dear,
everything is waiting out there
and you know it, my dear.
The Taliban
claimed responsibility for it.
I feel guilty about what happened
to my father and family.
If it wasn't for me,
my father would be alive now.
Sometimes I regret
having had bad thoughts about him.
I miss him so much.
Last night, while laying down...
I was thinking,
it's hard to believe
my husband has died.
And about how easily he left us.
He was a healthy person,
who left home full of hope.
And they brutally killed him.
You lose him so easily
that you ask yourself, "Where did he go?"
As if it was a nightmare.
Noman wrote something.
Should they go another round?
He wrote two letters at school,
one for me and one for his dad.
He wrote, "Dear Dad,
thank you for being with me
until I was nine years old."
"But you left us so soon."
He wrote one to me.
"I'm grateful that you're still alive."
While reading it, I thought...
that a kid at his age
should be playing in a playground.
But all he wanted
was for his mum to be alive.
Jump!
Come, go on.
Ah.
Hey, Mum, do this,
without thinking or crying.
It's this pain
that we Afghan women have been enduring.
And every second,
we're just waiting for what's next.
War, war, war until now.
Many countries came here
saying they would help us.
Where's your help?
We're still grieving.
We're still suffering.
So why did you come in the first place?
And now that you're leaving,
what did you achieve?
Please cheer
for the champions of this nation!
I am proud to be the daughter
of a military officer
who served for 37 years.
I'm the daughter of someone
who was one of you.
Cowardly, despicable,
and shameless enemies
martyred my father.
They are brutal cowards.
If he had died fighting,
I wouldn't be sad.
But they killed my father
right in front my little brother.
It was cowardly.
They killed him in front of our house.
They shot him in the back of the head.
When my father was martyred,
everyone said, "Zarifa will leave her job
in Maidan Wardak and escape."
But my mother told me
to keep up my struggle
and to continue as long as I can speak.
Take a deep breath, focus...
Fire.
...and pull the trigger.
I'm now the fourth
United States president
to preside over
American troop presence in Afghanistan.
I will not pass
this responsibility on to a fifth.
US troops will be out of Afghanistan
before we mark the 20th anniversary
of that heinous attack on September 11th.
It's time forAmerican troops
to come home.
Here we go.
Both sides are exchanging "gifts."
Since morning.
It's been like this for a week now.
The situation is bad.
The army went to retake
the other district.
- Jaghato?
- It's recaptured.
As the Taliban react
to the news
of imminent US troop withdrawal,
violence is continuing across thecountry.
A lot has changed
in the last year.
There's more insecurity, mafia, theft.
So a lot has changed.
War swallows the helpless and poor.
If you join the government,
the Taliban kills you.
If you join the Taliban,
the government kills you.
Whatever your circumstances,
life here is very difficult.
Some of the Afghan forces
were surrounded in Raghistan district.
These soldiers have told the media
that they lack food and equipment.
The Taliban are trying to cut off
connections with the big cities.
The provinces
are falling one by one.
The Taliban claim that 80% of the country
is under their control.
Politicians begged
for money from the world,
and put it in their own pockets.
And people are upset
with the government because of this,
and so they are supporting the Taliban.
The international
community says
they brought money to help Afghanistan.
Where in Afghanistan did they help?
They lied to the people of Afghanistan
by saying they'd help us.
We haven't seen any of their support.
Look around here.
There are no bridges, no road,
no clinic, no doctor, and no school.
We will build this country ourselves.
Get those 20 people
ready over here.
You are the new recruits
for this new unit.
Where is his coat?
Give him his coat.
Give him his coat.
- Have they brought towels?
- No, they haven't.
All right, just put on your headscarf.
You've got a big head. It doesn't fit.
You tied it upside down.
They sewed it wrong.
They made it like this.
You have all witnessed
the occupiers come to Afghanistan.
The occupiers have looted Afghanistan.
They looted the whole of Afghanistan.
They destroyed people's houses.
I am from a small village
in the countryside,
just like most of the Taliban.
Talib is my brother, Talib is my cousin.
The Taliban are from the same blood as me.
The way they have chosen,
I don't agree with it.
Taliban are Afghans,
just misled Afghans.
Hey, let's play football.
Come here, boys!
Come on.
Come on, come on.
The government area
has kidnappings and robberies.
Come on.
Our territory is 100% safe.
You can travel anywhere, day and night.
You deserve a yellow card!
In Afghanistan,
you have to pick up the gun.
A voice alone does nothing.
What's going on?
It's a car accident.
Is it a car accident
or are they fighting?
No, move forward.
I'll park there. I'll see what's going on.
It's a protest.
I'm fine. Thanks,
Commander. How are you? Thank you.
There's a protest
happening on the Kabul-Maidan road.
Last night, three civilians were killed
in a military operation by the 001 unit.
Okay.
He was just a labourer,
nothing more than that.
He was a tractor driver.
Why did they kill him?
They shot him dead last night.
It's not fair!
Clear the way!
This innocent person has been killed.
We don't want the puppets of America!
That pimp!
Long live the mujahideen.
The route is shut
because of a mission.
There is fighting going on in Kunj.
Stay in the car.
Let's see what happens. Trust in God.
The rice is yours.
- Is it rice?
- No, beans.
Are there Taliban inside Mazar?
In one or two provinces,
where the Taliban are in control,
I heard that they are forcing
the young girls and women
to get married to them.
Worst-case scenario,
if I have to, I will marry a Talib,
and then I'll become a Talib and kill him.
I know what I am going to do.
- We live on the 6th floor right?
- Yes.
One of the lifts has a net,
but the other one doesn't.
We'll open it.
I'll jump first, then her,
and then she can jump on me
because she doesn't want to die,
but we would.
She'll fall on top of us
so she doesn't feel any pain.
I'll die first and then others.
Otherwise, we'll have to hide our phones,
wear burkas and sit in our houses.
Isn't it better to marry a Talib
than throw yourself from the building?
No, the lift shaft is better.
The Taliban were lashing a woman
just because she had
no male companion outside.
I don't know where humanity,
logic, or Islam instructs it.
What's going to happen
after the withdrawal?
An explosion
rocked a school in Kabul today.
That's the price girls pay
just for going to school in Afghanistan.
Islamic extremists
are against education for girls.
As international forces pull out,
the extremists are killing
those who want to learn.
Hello, good morning.
Excuse me, Doctor.
Look who came.
The mayor of Maidan Wardak
came a long way to meet you.
She wants to see how you feel.
Be strong.
Dear, my dear.
Alaikum-Salaam, my dearest sister.
- Are you okay?
- Yes, thanks.
Where were you when the attack happened?
We'd just
been let out of school.
We took two steps forward,
then it exploded.
I was horrified and scared.
I didn't know if I was dead or alive.
I was just hoping my mother
wouldn't be terrified and I could go home.
- What year are you in?
- Upper sixth.
Upper sixth?
So when you've finished school,
I'll see you in university, okay?
We Afghans don't stop
at one or two people.
They killed dozens of kids.
If a lion hunts,
it kills and eats just one.
It does not hunt the whole family.
I don't want my family
to pay for my choices anymore.
These books are mine.
Saliheen,
I will tell you. Put it there.
Hello, brothers, how are you?
I am being transferred to Kabul
for a new job.
I wanted to say goodbye to you all
before I left.
If I ever offended anyone,
please forgive me.
I wish you all the very best of luck.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much. Keep well!
Thank you very much, dear Haji Saib.
You can go. I will follow.
She got a new job
at the Ministry of Defence,
but she won't take me with her.
Why did I lose my job?
Did I have any flaws?
Didn't I help her in her hour of need?
Wasn't I ready to devote myself for her?
On the contrary...
I shielded her from bullets
when we were ambushed.
But now
I have been left behind.
I sacrificed myself for her
and made myself an enemy
of the whole Islamic Emirate.
That was my biggest sacrifice for her.
I got a new job
at the Ministry of Defence.
Go downstairs. I will come.
I tried to keep Massoum as my driver,
but the ministry had strict rules
and it did not allow me to have
a driver who wasn't in the military.
Unfortunately, Massoum thinks
that I betrayed him.
When you see that the world betrays you,
you see everyone as a traitor,
and you think everyone betrayed you.
I'm head of the department
for the martyred and disabled.
That's my car and I hold an ID card.
I'm looking for the families of soldiers.
I'm listing their names.
The Ministry of Defence will help them.
- Father's name?
- Mohammadullah.
- What?
- Mohammadullah.
- Mohammad...
- Mohammadullah.
Where was your son stationed?
Do you have documents?
I'm looking
for the families of soldiers.
We're trying to help you.
All we need is shelter.
Were any of your family members
in the national army?
No, sister.
Hello, sir. Was your son
in the national army?
No.
We're searching for the families
of the national army.
Your father's name is Mohammad Noor?
My husband's in the army.
His brothers were martyred.
Excuse me, sister,
what list are you writing?
Bashir, take this one.
Two family members
were murdered.
The ones responsible for police
will come tomorrow.
I can't register families of the police.
Can you hear?
I cannot do anything!
What do I do, my dear?
Please, do something.
Tell me, what am I meant to do, my dear?
That's up to you.
I'm so underprivileged.
My son is mentally ill.
One of my sons went missing.
My husband was killed in the fighting.
I will leave. God bless you.
God bless your father.
The Taliban took control
of many districts today.
That means they control
most of the country
except the largest cities.
I am unemployed now.
There are thousands
of young people like me,
burning in this hell.
The biggest disaster
is disappointment.
US forces
have left their main military base
in Afghanistan,
the hub for a 20-year mission
against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda,
as US involvement
fighting terrorists in the country
is coming to an end.
Most NATO forces
have quietly left
ahead of the American president's promise
they'd be gone by September 11th.
Meanwhile, fighting
continues in the city of Kandahar,
the country's second-largest city.
This has left the Afghan capital of Kabul
increasingly isolated
from the rest of the country.
With security rapidly deteriorating,
Washington is urging Americans
to leave immediately.
The Taliban
are on the brink of capturing
the city of Lashkar Gah.
The Taliban
are rapidly advancing
towards the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Another strategically
important provincial...
The Taliban has just taken
two provincial capitals in just two days.
The speed of their advance
has surprised almost everyone.
Now it feels
it is inevitable
that the capital city is going to fall.
Oh my God. Oh my God.
Oh my God. Wait, wait.
They are here.
Afghanistan's
president, Ashraf Ghani, has gone.
He has left the country.
He escaped as Taliban leaders
push for what they claim
is a peaceful transfer of power
here in Kabul.
Twenty years after the West
declared war on the Taliban,
they are back in control of Afghanistan.
Taliban fighters entered
the Afghan capital this morning.
I'm very worried
about what's happening.
Have you been in touch
with the US embassy?
If you can please recommend
me and my family and my husband
to anywhere, especially to the US Embassy,
I'll be happy.
Thank you.
I don't know why
we have been sentenced to this.
I know I won't survive if I stay.
I don't want to leave.
I don't have an alternative.
Helicopters
are filling the air over Kabul
as diplomats and foreigners
try to escape Afghanistan.
Around the airport, the people wait.
This wasn't how it was supposed to end.
They are leaving.
- Where are they going?
- Kabul is being evacuated.
Big one. The big one.
We'll only leave
if we can get out together.
Or we don't go.
I built this home with so much hope.
I was so hopeful for life.
It's okay.
God is kind.
We can't keep you here.
Bashir,
I will not leave you here.
I won't leave.
I won't go anywhere without you.
Either we go together
or we won't go at all.
Hey, guys. I'm in.
I'm in with all of my family members.
I'm leaving everything, Mum.
This is utter cowardice.
I have a small amount of sand
of my country.
I have it with me, you know?
It's been a few nights. I'm far away.
And I'm not able to sleep
without touching it.
I need to have it at my hand.
It's really hard.
They took everything away, you know?
I had everything.
I had everything and now I have nothing
than a small amount of sand in my hand.
Sometimes I celebrate
and laugh, my friend.
Sometimes I am sad and cry, my friend.
Sometimes, I fly like a bird.
Sometimes, I am the salt
rubbed into your wounds.
The sudden regime change is strange.
No one could have imagined it.
Will Afghanistan see another invasion?
Will we return to war?
Will we be bombed again?
Will they put me in prison
in the name of the Taliban
or as a terrorist?
It is not clear.
The future is now totally uncertain.
I am happy becauseI am still
beside my daughter, who is my whole life.
I will do anything to protect her.
Freedom, freedom!
Is our basic right!
Today women protesters
took to the streets of Kabul,
saying the Taliban
were oppressing women's freedoms.
The Taliban government
is not legitimate without women's rights.
Seeing this, I have two feelings.
First, that these women are very strong
and I am proud of them.
Second, that I am sad
not to be among them.
The World
Food Programme warned today
Afghanistan is facing
a catastrophe of hunger.
Its economy has collapsed.
International finance organisations
froze Afghan assets
after the Taliban takeover of Kabul.
Sanctions
on the Taliban
have meant food prices have increased
throughout Afghanistan.
Many NGOs and businesses left
at the same time as the foreign forces,
so homelessness, poverty, and unemployment
are on the rise.
Listen to what I am saying.
I do not have the resources.
When I find the resources...
You listen to what I say.
Poverty is at its peak.
Please, do not bother me anymore.
I do not have the capability.
I am helpless.
Call Sadia.
I am Sadia.
This is Simia.
Look at what these poor and needy people
are going through.
All of them are in need
of a single loaf of bread.
Why? What was the reason?
Who committed treason in this country?
May God damn them!
[sombre music playing
Here,
we are living in the dirt.
Some of the jobless have become addicts.
Aren't poor people human beings?
Don't they also have hearts and needs?
Oh! No, no, no, no...
Our city is full of the poor
It does not deserve bombing
I worked with someone
who went on the world stage
and called the Taliban a dark government.
I don't know what they think of me.
I don't know what the future holds.
Life or death, only God knows.
How are you? All well?
You don't have any guns, right? Move.
You know what's good about it?
THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD
It's the freedom.
After taking the car from Maidan,
there wasn't a police checkpoint
to stop me.
In the previous regime,
I was a driver for Zarifa.
Zarifa was a mayor here?
Yeah, she was a nasty woman!
- He is a mujahid?
- I was a mujahid then as well.
Yeah, right!
Not a mujahid, a woman's driver!
I was a driver for the municipality.
There was a woman in charge here.
She was doing literally everything.
You shouldn't have served her, my friend.
No.
No. The problem is politics is dirty.
We made an ambush on her,
but God saved him.
I was this close to the bullet.
Hey, come here!
This is the person who shot me.
On that day,
I was almost killed.
It's good that I survived!
"Father."
Uh... V has the sound of F, right?
"Father."
"Father."
Together
we've learned "Guten tag.Guten tag."
It's been four months,
and I'm sick of it.
Even if the world explodes,
I must go back once.
I will spend one night there.
I must do this
at least to awaken my generation,
and, specifically, to awaken my gender.
I can't not do this.
And if they kill you?
If I die,
I will die for a reason.
I am with you.
- Hello.
- How are you?
Now about my return,
I want to put politics aside.
In general,
there are no obstacles.
Now that Kabul
is under the control of the Taliban,
Afghanistan no longer
makes the news headlines.
People are talking about Ukraine.
And the Taliban are using this opportunity
to become worse again.
They have imprisoned
the protesting girls and women.
They promised to reopen
the girls' schools, but they haven't.
THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD
Oh my God!
THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD
Hello!
Oh God. Come here all of you!
My guest
is Zarifa Ghafari,
the former mayor of Maidan Wardak.
- Ms Ghafari, thank you for joining us.
- Thank you.
You've returned to Kabul.
What's the purpose of your visit?
The Taliban need to work
to gain the approval
of more than half the population,
the women.
I call upon all elders and rulers
in the current government of Afghanistan,
if they still have
any women protesters in jail,
to set them free for their human dignity.
We, women, are ready for a dialogue.
Let's have a dialogue
to resolve our issues.
Here is a question
addressed directly to you personally.
Have you forgiven your father's murderers?
If it heals any pain,
and prevents other Zarifas
from becoming orphans
or another Abdul Wasi from dying,
then yes.
"Zarifa Ghafari was a nobody."
"It is obvious
how she got the position as a mayor."
"She has no humanity and no morality."
Some people are saying
that I have made a huge mistake.
People are saying I have done a deal
with my father's murderers.
It makes me disappointed.
Anyone who wants to help the people
is accused of whitewashing the Taliban.
But I still believe
that I am doing the right thing.
And I am sure that I am not wrong.
Now I see the people
who were holding guns against me
and who wanted to kill me.
I'm not sure if the way they laugh with me
is a laugh of love or hate.
Does life or death
lie behind this laughter?
My destiny awaits me behind the laughter.
The people of Afghanistan
didn't choose this for themselves.
This government was imposed on us
by the international community.
Bring that over here for me.
The people of Afghanistan
have been condemned
to live in hell.
Ladies,
I am the owner of this school.
This is not just about learning,
but also to see how I can help you,
if you decide to start something
on your own in the future.
What matters is to use this opportunity
to learn something.
We will stand strong, work and struggle.
We do it for ourselves.
ASSISTANCE AND PROMOTION FOR AFGHAN WOMEN
Here is a little rice,
sugar, and some oil.
Give it to this woman, please.
Who's ever seen
a female suicide bomber?
Who?
In this country, whenever there was a war,
the men started it.
- Let's pray for our country's prosperity.
- Amen.
Pray that a woman becomes president
to rebuild this country.
Let's lock all men up at home
and tell them not to leave the house,
otherwise our Islam will be at risk.
Men, leave now!
Otherwise, my religion will be endangered
by the sight of you.
No, I'm joking with you.
Should I take down
this woman's number?
Yes!
Don't make yourself so tired.
I am from this country.
This is my place.
I need to be here to help.
I am joining this storm.
Let's see where it will head.
But I have faith.
Oh my God. Oh my God.
Oh my God. Wait, wait.
They are here.
There's now more urgency
than ever to get those in danger
out ofAfghanistan
amid reports that the Taliban
are now going door-to-door
in an attempt to find
people on their blacklist.
Dear God!
Bashir!
I won't leave you here.
I won't leave.
I won't go anywhere without you.
Either we go together
or we won't go at all.
It's cost
two trillion dollars
and many thousands of lives,
but America's longest war
may finally be nearing an end.
Twenty years have passed
since a US-led invasion
ended the Taliban's
brutal rule in Afghanistan.
Now the Taliban and the US
are negotiating inQatar.
The mayor
of Maidan Wardak, Zarifa Ghafari,
is here to speak.
For 50 years,
war has been imposed on Afghans.
We don't want any more war.
Stand beside your sisters.
Let them be educated
so that both men and women
can rebuild the country together.
Young people, you must work for it.
Study and work. Compete with your peers.
Drop the weapon and take up a pen.
This country will be built by the pen
and by education.
- We want security!
- We want it!
- We want education!
- We want it!
- We want peace!
- We want peace!
- We want peace!
- We want peace!
- We want security!
- We want security!
- We want security!
- We want security!
- We want peace!
- We want peace!
Let's all work together.
Both men and women,
be courageous and stand together.
If we work hard and try our best,
we can build this country ourselves.
Long live Afghanistan!
Long live Afghanistan!
I applied to be the mayor
of Maidan Wardak.
And from the first day
I applied for the position,
I encountered problems.
For nine months,
people tried to prevent my appointment.
But I did not give up.
Men have had their chance here
for the last 40 or 50 years.
What have they achieved? Nothing.
There are no female mayors
in other provinces. Why in Maidan?
A woman! Aren't there enough men?
Our men are as strong as trees.
She should stay at home,
cook and do housework.
Look after the kids.
Not boss us around like this.
Please sign it,
so I can take it to the governor's office.
Put the chair there. Welcome. How are you?
Good morning, everyone.
I hope you are all okay.
I'm glad to see so many of you present.
This is the only office working like this
out of all the others in the province.
I want to fight
for women's education rights here.
And I will work for this.
And I won't be leavinghere
until you are all totally sick of me.
Signed.
The US
and Taliban have recently completed
their latest round of peace negotiations
with the aim of ending
the war in Afghanistan
and signing an agreement
for permanent peace.
The Taliban
wants to make a deal.
We'll see if they wanna make a deal.
It's got to be a real deal, but we'll see.
God damn this situation.
Damn it!
In the name of Allah. May God protect us.
I am
Mayor Zarifa Ghafari's driver,
and I guard her 24/7.
And I'm very happy
to be serving a woman
who so completely serves her country
and her people.
After we pass these deserts,
we'll feel safer.
Slow down. Drive slowly.
Cars are heading towards us.
I drive
above the speed limit,
one hand on the steering wheel,
one on my pistol,
because the road
I drive Zarifa on every day
between Kabul and Maidan Shar
is controlled by the Taliban.
She is a champion
for me and our people.
I live every second of my life
with the memory of her.
This is a letter I received
from the Taliban that says,
"Miss Zarifa Ghafari,
As-Salaam-Alaikum."
"You're continuing to do pagan works
in spite of our warnings,
and in the name of democracy
you are spreading vice in our society."
"For the last time,
we order you
to leave MaidanWardak in a week."
"Refusing to do so
will result in your assassination."
But I haven't left
Maidan Wardak yet.
Hm.
This was sent in November 2017.
Now it's 2020 and I'm still working.
I'm still alive,
and, God willing, it will stay that way.
Walk around, my little baby.
Go on. Hurry up!
Hurry up! You can do it.
When I first met Zarifa,
I really wanted to help her.
I considered her my sister,
from the bottom of my heart.
Zarifa is fighting
for freedom of speech in her country.
For women's rights, for human rights.
But within the Islamic framework.
- How long have you been here?
- Since last night.
What should I do, my dear?
Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't cry.
Take this, please.
Bless you!
Her enemies say
that what she is doing is blasphemous.
We have been living here
for five years.
In five years, not a single government
vehicle has come into this area.
They haven't crossed the main road
to get here.
We decide everything here.
Any fighting or killing is punished by us.
The government doesn't exist here.
As-Salaam-Alaikum.
All good?
The government
has failed the people of Afghanistan.
Ask the people here whether the government
has done anything for them.
We are from this country
and we will serve it.
Brave mujahideen!
Until we establish Islamic rule
across the whole planet,
we will not surrender to anyone.
I have been put here to fight people.
I have been instructed to kill people.
To destroy people, behead people.
Until they believe
there is no god but Allah.
Ah.
I have been fighting
in these mountains
since the US invasion in 2001.
Look at me, I am 36 years old,
but everyone thinks
I am 40 or 50 years old.
We are fighting for pure Sharia law
in this country.
If you cut off one hand,
others will refrain from stealing.
If you crush one person under a wall,
no one will commit homosexuality.
If one person is stoned,
no one will commit fornication.
This is the righteous way,
which will lead us forward.
I remember, when I was a child
during the Taliban rule,
one day the Taliban tooka woman
to Chaman Hozori stadium.
They made her wear a blue burka.
A man stood next to her
and shot her in the head
with a Kalashnikov.
I witnessed this when I was just a kid.
We will witness these horrors again.
The horror of the Taliban.
The fear of the Taliban.
See how we stop our enemies
in Afghanistan.
We pack the car with explosives
and park it in the desert.
Then they come to see whose car it is.
Then the car explodes.
Did it become unsafe
like it has been in the last 40 years
because a woman likeZarifa Ghafari
walks freely around the province?
Her husband should accompany her.
There should not be vice in this country.
God tells us
to kill them without hesitation.
We're getting closer to the checkpoint.
That side is the government.
That's the city. This doesn't work there.
If we have this, they will arrest us.
They will say
the Taliban have entered the city.
And now they will say, "No Taliban."
Hello. How are you?
Where are you coming from?
We have to move from this flat
as soon as possible.
- It's an emergency. It's out of control.
- What do you mean?
We're being followed.
I'm being followed because of you.
We are all being followed.
- Hm.
- I have to be extra careful.
Why didn't you inform me earlier?
Because I didn't want you to be afraid.
It's bad. We have to move
before they kill us.
Pick it up
from the bottom, Bashir.
One of you hold it from the top.
- Should we do it now or later?
- No. No.
Let's put it on top.
Look at what she has!
Mister, take this and put it over there.
Don't ruin it. One minute!
The carpets are washed,
be careful. Hurry up.
Sometimes it is difficult.
When you realise
someone is going to hurt you,
someone is following you
or tryingto make trouble for you.
It is very tough.
But this is life in Afghanistan.
You just have to accept it.
Women like me,
we like to have self-confidence.
In Afghanistan, if a woman
doesn't know how to drive,
especially now,
it must mean
her hands and legs are broken!
Don't put more weight.
Did you carry all of that upstairs?
No, don't do that.
No, come on.
Okay, give it to me. Bring it here.
- Give it to me.
- No, it's very heavy.
Kabul has been rebuilt
so beautifully. It looks awesome.
Show it to him.
Let him also see Kabul. Look!
Oh.
Look at how beautiful Kabul is.
My homeland
My pride is my love for you
My homeland
I will sacrifice myself for you
Homeland, wherever I will be
You will give me soul and spirit
- We came from this way, right?
- Yes, we did.
Wow, what a car you have!
Nice to meet you.
Oh, yes... What is your name? Mohammad?
- Is your name Mohammad?
- Yes.
- Is she his sister?
- Yes.
They also have a younger brother,
younger than them.
- She can't see anything?
- No, nothing at all.
God bless you, sir,
for your hard work.
Please recite a verse by heart.
I seek refuge in Allah
from the outcast Shaitan
in the name of Allah
the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful...
The Taliban doesn't want
the people of Afghanistan,
and particularly Afghan women,
to become educated.
Because education
is against all those things they believe.
Because educated people ask questions,
and they are afraid of questions.
Whenever I meet people
from different communities,
I ask them to educate their children
because education is the only way
out of this situation in Afghanistan.
Hello, how are you?
Are you well?
We thank you for coming here.
Thank you.
Our girls do study. There...
There are some classes.
As a girl, I studied.
I have a bachelor's and a master's degree.
When I was studying, I had to walk
an hour each way to my school in Paktika.
There were many
suicide attacks and fights.
My father told me not to go anymore.
So I started going to school secretly.
I was going to school in secret
after he went to the office.
It was my lifetime dream
to see that my parents are proud
of my reputation and my achievements.
So please educate your daughters
and send them to school.
If you educate one girl or woman,
you save ten generations.
Who wants
to give me an example?
In the name of Allah,
do you have potato chips?
"Exclamatory" means "surprise."
You surprise someone.
Education is the key
to a country's development.
This is the battle
between ignorance and knowledge.
The battle between light and dark.
You know, Mum,
I swear, sometimes
I don't want to get out of bed,
but I get up and get on with it
because I have to.
Oh, yes.
In this country, anyone who works
with honesty is soon murdered.
Unfortunately, that's how it is.
May God protect you.
You must take care of yourself.
My dad is a military officer
who thinks the home is a military base.
He gives the orders,
and we're part of his battalion.
I had to make my father believe
that I was capable.
I always had to fight
against my dad's behaviour and mindset,
even about me going to university.
At least I changed my father's mindset.
I think that
is the biggest achievement of my life.
My flight is from here to Dubai,
Dubai to France,
and from France to the US, Washington, DC.
Me and the whole nation
are so proud of you.
The US has signed
a peace deal with the Taliban.
President Trump has said that US troops
will leave Afghanistan entirely
if the Taliban cease their violence
towards US forces.
Bashir, the only thing
that is a bit positive in this agreement
is that if either party
violates the agreement,
then it will be terminated.
Do a campaign there. Havefaith in God.
Your voice is powerful.
Your words and messages must be heard.
You must not cry, or I won't go.
No, no. Go.
Our office is so proud
to work with our colleagues
from across the world
to select a remarkable group of women
who exemplify
exceptional courage and leadership
in advocating for human rights,
women's equality and social progress,
often at great personal risk.
Zarifa Ghafari,
the first woman mayor,
along with ten other women
from different parts of the world,
was selected
for the Women of Courage award
by the department of foreign affairs
of the United States.
My name is Zarifa Ghafari.
Actually I'm not a hero.
I'm just the mayor of Maidan Shar.
Women of my generation have not forgotten
the reign of the Taliban,
and we are worried for the future.
Let me ask for your continued support
to ensure that the Afghan peace process
does not erase
the gains that have been made
since the dark days of the Taliban regime.
That this bravery award
was received, at a global level,
by Zarifa Ghafari, mayor of MaidanWardak,
represents a fundamental change
in our political system.
Hi, dear Bashir.
The president said my name
at the parliament inauguration ceremony!
He said that I was a brave woman!
And that I have made
the whole nation proud!
Love you! Love you!
Wow! Wow! Wow!
I am so, so, so proud.
You're the pride of the nation
and that's enough.
You won't die unless we are dead.
First, I will die and then you.
Then, we both will enter paradise
and live there forever, okay?
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
My fianc Bashir...
My dear Bashir...
Bashir is why I smile.
When he realised
that I had found my mission in life,
he stood beside me,
and he has encouraged me in all my work.
He has applauded, enjoyed, and celebrated.
- This one is beautiful.
- Mm.
These are childish.
I don't like them at all, none of them.
This is all of them. This one.
Who expected this would happen so soon?
Please get closer.
I am here
to select my wedding dress.
It's amazing for me.
I am perhaps
the luckiest Afghan woman
to have a partner like him.
Look at my little baby.
Why?
What do you mean, Dad?
What do you mean?
So I will just get
a house for myself, Dad.
Okay. Thank you.
You know,
I am dealing with shits around.
Seriously.
I'm not a kid.
He's of that old mindset
that the groom shouldn't come to my house
until we are married.
The tradition is
to accompany the bride to her house,
party there for a bit and then leave.
Isn't it?
Now my dad is saying
that he doesn't want this.
What do you really want, Dad?
Just tell me.
There's no reason.
Just do what I told you to.
No, Dad. This is my life, for God's sake.
What's the reason? What do you want?
Unless you are married,
he shouldn't come to my house. That's all!
What do you mean?
Are you kicking me out of the house?
Are you kicking me out of the house?
Is it your house?
You know, life is much harder
than anyone can imagine.
Especially the life of a girl
who wants to have everything.
Who wants to do everything by herself.
She is stopped
from the moment she leaves home
until she gets to a position of power.
It's difficult.
I live in a society where I even
have to fight against my dad's thoughts.
I even have to make my dad understand
that I am a human.
Today, Zarifa Ghafari,
the mayor of Maidan Wardak,
survived an attack.
She said that on her way home
from Maidan Wardak,
a car opened fire at her
in theKhushal Khan area of Kabul.
My fianc was with me
and was driving.
They opened fire on us
before we were able
to fire our gun back.
This is just one
of many attacks in recent weeks.
The Taliban have been targeting
government officials in the capital
in an effort to show the people
that the government has lost control.
Who's that?
- Come on in. How are you?
- Greetings. How are you?
I have to tell you
something important.
The Haqqani network wants to harm us.
Initially, I didn't take it seriously,
but since receiving this call,
I know it's serious.
Uh...
They said they would share it
with other departments too.
But it's important
that you take some measures yourself.
May God protect us.
We should be extra careful.
Abdul Wasi Ghafari,
the father of Zarifa Ghafari,
the mayor of Maidan Wardak province,
and a strike force commander
at the Ministry of Defence,
was assassinated yesterday by gunmen
outside his house in Kabul.
Let the funeral car pass.
Uncle!
Can I see him once more, please?
- She's already seen him.
- I want to see him one last time.
Okay,
go in from that side.
Wait. From this side.
Rest in peace. We are here.
We'll take care of everything.
You're a martyr, a hero!
We'll take care of it, Dad!
Come on, hop off.
Come on, my dear! People are waiting.
Come on, dear,
everything is waiting out there
and you know it, my dear.
The Taliban
claimed responsibility for it.
I feel guilty about what happened
to my father and family.
If it wasn't for me,
my father would be alive now.
Sometimes I regret
having had bad thoughts about him.
I miss him so much.
Last night, while laying down...
I was thinking,
it's hard to believe
my husband has died.
And about how easily he left us.
He was a healthy person,
who left home full of hope.
And they brutally killed him.
You lose him so easily
that you ask yourself, "Where did he go?"
As if it was a nightmare.
Noman wrote something.
Should they go another round?
He wrote two letters at school,
one for me and one for his dad.
He wrote, "Dear Dad,
thank you for being with me
until I was nine years old."
"But you left us so soon."
He wrote one to me.
"I'm grateful that you're still alive."
While reading it, I thought...
that a kid at his age
should be playing in a playground.
But all he wanted
was for his mum to be alive.
Jump!
Come, go on.
Ah.
Hey, Mum, do this,
without thinking or crying.
It's this pain
that we Afghan women have been enduring.
And every second,
we're just waiting for what's next.
War, war, war until now.
Many countries came here
saying they would help us.
Where's your help?
We're still grieving.
We're still suffering.
So why did you come in the first place?
And now that you're leaving,
what did you achieve?
Please cheer
for the champions of this nation!
I am proud to be the daughter
of a military officer
who served for 37 years.
I'm the daughter of someone
who was one of you.
Cowardly, despicable,
and shameless enemies
martyred my father.
They are brutal cowards.
If he had died fighting,
I wouldn't be sad.
But they killed my father
right in front my little brother.
It was cowardly.
They killed him in front of our house.
They shot him in the back of the head.
When my father was martyred,
everyone said, "Zarifa will leave her job
in Maidan Wardak and escape."
But my mother told me
to keep up my struggle
and to continue as long as I can speak.
Take a deep breath, focus...
Fire.
...and pull the trigger.
I'm now the fourth
United States president
to preside over
American troop presence in Afghanistan.
I will not pass
this responsibility on to a fifth.
US troops will be out of Afghanistan
before we mark the 20th anniversary
of that heinous attack on September 11th.
It's time forAmerican troops
to come home.
Here we go.
Both sides are exchanging "gifts."
Since morning.
It's been like this for a week now.
The situation is bad.
The army went to retake
the other district.
- Jaghato?
- It's recaptured.
As the Taliban react
to the news
of imminent US troop withdrawal,
violence is continuing across thecountry.
A lot has changed
in the last year.
There's more insecurity, mafia, theft.
So a lot has changed.
War swallows the helpless and poor.
If you join the government,
the Taliban kills you.
If you join the Taliban,
the government kills you.
Whatever your circumstances,
life here is very difficult.
Some of the Afghan forces
were surrounded in Raghistan district.
These soldiers have told the media
that they lack food and equipment.
The Taliban are trying to cut off
connections with the big cities.
The provinces
are falling one by one.
The Taliban claim that 80% of the country
is under their control.
Politicians begged
for money from the world,
and put it in their own pockets.
And people are upset
with the government because of this,
and so they are supporting the Taliban.
The international
community says
they brought money to help Afghanistan.
Where in Afghanistan did they help?
They lied to the people of Afghanistan
by saying they'd help us.
We haven't seen any of their support.
Look around here.
There are no bridges, no road,
no clinic, no doctor, and no school.
We will build this country ourselves.
Get those 20 people
ready over here.
You are the new recruits
for this new unit.
Where is his coat?
Give him his coat.
Give him his coat.
- Have they brought towels?
- No, they haven't.
All right, just put on your headscarf.
You've got a big head. It doesn't fit.
You tied it upside down.
They sewed it wrong.
They made it like this.
You have all witnessed
the occupiers come to Afghanistan.
The occupiers have looted Afghanistan.
They looted the whole of Afghanistan.
They destroyed people's houses.
I am from a small village
in the countryside,
just like most of the Taliban.
Talib is my brother, Talib is my cousin.
The Taliban are from the same blood as me.
The way they have chosen,
I don't agree with it.
Taliban are Afghans,
just misled Afghans.
Hey, let's play football.
Come here, boys!
Come on.
Come on, come on.
The government area
has kidnappings and robberies.
Come on.
Our territory is 100% safe.
You can travel anywhere, day and night.
You deserve a yellow card!
In Afghanistan,
you have to pick up the gun.
A voice alone does nothing.
What's going on?
It's a car accident.
Is it a car accident
or are they fighting?
No, move forward.
I'll park there. I'll see what's going on.
It's a protest.
I'm fine. Thanks,
Commander. How are you? Thank you.
There's a protest
happening on the Kabul-Maidan road.
Last night, three civilians were killed
in a military operation by the 001 unit.
Okay.
He was just a labourer,
nothing more than that.
He was a tractor driver.
Why did they kill him?
They shot him dead last night.
It's not fair!
Clear the way!
This innocent person has been killed.
We don't want the puppets of America!
That pimp!
Long live the mujahideen.
The route is shut
because of a mission.
There is fighting going on in Kunj.
Stay in the car.
Let's see what happens. Trust in God.
The rice is yours.
- Is it rice?
- No, beans.
Are there Taliban inside Mazar?
In one or two provinces,
where the Taliban are in control,
I heard that they are forcing
the young girls and women
to get married to them.
Worst-case scenario,
if I have to, I will marry a Talib,
and then I'll become a Talib and kill him.
I know what I am going to do.
- We live on the 6th floor right?
- Yes.
One of the lifts has a net,
but the other one doesn't.
We'll open it.
I'll jump first, then her,
and then she can jump on me
because she doesn't want to die,
but we would.
She'll fall on top of us
so she doesn't feel any pain.
I'll die first and then others.
Otherwise, we'll have to hide our phones,
wear burkas and sit in our houses.
Isn't it better to marry a Talib
than throw yourself from the building?
No, the lift shaft is better.
The Taliban were lashing a woman
just because she had
no male companion outside.
I don't know where humanity,
logic, or Islam instructs it.
What's going to happen
after the withdrawal?
An explosion
rocked a school in Kabul today.
That's the price girls pay
just for going to school in Afghanistan.
Islamic extremists
are against education for girls.
As international forces pull out,
the extremists are killing
those who want to learn.
Hello, good morning.
Excuse me, Doctor.
Look who came.
The mayor of Maidan Wardak
came a long way to meet you.
She wants to see how you feel.
Be strong.
Dear, my dear.
Alaikum-Salaam, my dearest sister.
- Are you okay?
- Yes, thanks.
Where were you when the attack happened?
We'd just
been let out of school.
We took two steps forward,
then it exploded.
I was horrified and scared.
I didn't know if I was dead or alive.
I was just hoping my mother
wouldn't be terrified and I could go home.
- What year are you in?
- Upper sixth.
Upper sixth?
So when you've finished school,
I'll see you in university, okay?
We Afghans don't stop
at one or two people.
They killed dozens of kids.
If a lion hunts,
it kills and eats just one.
It does not hunt the whole family.
I don't want my family
to pay for my choices anymore.
These books are mine.
Saliheen,
I will tell you. Put it there.
Hello, brothers, how are you?
I am being transferred to Kabul
for a new job.
I wanted to say goodbye to you all
before I left.
If I ever offended anyone,
please forgive me.
I wish you all the very best of luck.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much. Keep well!
Thank you very much, dear Haji Saib.
You can go. I will follow.
She got a new job
at the Ministry of Defence,
but she won't take me with her.
Why did I lose my job?
Did I have any flaws?
Didn't I help her in her hour of need?
Wasn't I ready to devote myself for her?
On the contrary...
I shielded her from bullets
when we were ambushed.
But now
I have been left behind.
I sacrificed myself for her
and made myself an enemy
of the whole Islamic Emirate.
That was my biggest sacrifice for her.
I got a new job
at the Ministry of Defence.
Go downstairs. I will come.
I tried to keep Massoum as my driver,
but the ministry had strict rules
and it did not allow me to have
a driver who wasn't in the military.
Unfortunately, Massoum thinks
that I betrayed him.
When you see that the world betrays you,
you see everyone as a traitor,
and you think everyone betrayed you.
I'm head of the department
for the martyred and disabled.
That's my car and I hold an ID card.
I'm looking for the families of soldiers.
I'm listing their names.
The Ministry of Defence will help them.
- Father's name?
- Mohammadullah.
- What?
- Mohammadullah.
- Mohammad...
- Mohammadullah.
Where was your son stationed?
Do you have documents?
I'm looking
for the families of soldiers.
We're trying to help you.
All we need is shelter.
Were any of your family members
in the national army?
No, sister.
Hello, sir. Was your son
in the national army?
No.
We're searching for the families
of the national army.
Your father's name is Mohammad Noor?
My husband's in the army.
His brothers were martyred.
Excuse me, sister,
what list are you writing?
Bashir, take this one.
Two family members
were murdered.
The ones responsible for police
will come tomorrow.
I can't register families of the police.
Can you hear?
I cannot do anything!
What do I do, my dear?
Please, do something.
Tell me, what am I meant to do, my dear?
That's up to you.
I'm so underprivileged.
My son is mentally ill.
One of my sons went missing.
My husband was killed in the fighting.
I will leave. God bless you.
God bless your father.
The Taliban took control
of many districts today.
That means they control
most of the country
except the largest cities.
I am unemployed now.
There are thousands
of young people like me,
burning in this hell.
The biggest disaster
is disappointment.
US forces
have left their main military base
in Afghanistan,
the hub for a 20-year mission
against the Taliban and Al-Qaeda,
as US involvement
fighting terrorists in the country
is coming to an end.
Most NATO forces
have quietly left
ahead of the American president's promise
they'd be gone by September 11th.
Meanwhile, fighting
continues in the city of Kandahar,
the country's second-largest city.
This has left the Afghan capital of Kabul
increasingly isolated
from the rest of the country.
With security rapidly deteriorating,
Washington is urging Americans
to leave immediately.
The Taliban
are on the brink of capturing
the city of Lashkar Gah.
The Taliban
are rapidly advancing
towards the Afghan capital, Kabul.
Another strategically
important provincial...
The Taliban has just taken
two provincial capitals in just two days.
The speed of their advance
has surprised almost everyone.
Now it feels
it is inevitable
that the capital city is going to fall.
Oh my God. Oh my God.
Oh my God. Wait, wait.
They are here.
Afghanistan's
president, Ashraf Ghani, has gone.
He has left the country.
He escaped as Taliban leaders
push for what they claim
is a peaceful transfer of power
here in Kabul.
Twenty years after the West
declared war on the Taliban,
they are back in control of Afghanistan.
Taliban fighters entered
the Afghan capital this morning.
I'm very worried
about what's happening.
Have you been in touch
with the US embassy?
If you can please recommend
me and my family and my husband
to anywhere, especially to the US Embassy,
I'll be happy.
Thank you.
I don't know why
we have been sentenced to this.
I know I won't survive if I stay.
I don't want to leave.
I don't have an alternative.
Helicopters
are filling the air over Kabul
as diplomats and foreigners
try to escape Afghanistan.
Around the airport, the people wait.
This wasn't how it was supposed to end.
They are leaving.
- Where are they going?
- Kabul is being evacuated.
Big one. The big one.
We'll only leave
if we can get out together.
Or we don't go.
I built this home with so much hope.
I was so hopeful for life.
It's okay.
God is kind.
We can't keep you here.
Bashir,
I will not leave you here.
I won't leave.
I won't go anywhere without you.
Either we go together
or we won't go at all.
Hey, guys. I'm in.
I'm in with all of my family members.
I'm leaving everything, Mum.
This is utter cowardice.
I have a small amount of sand
of my country.
I have it with me, you know?
It's been a few nights. I'm far away.
And I'm not able to sleep
without touching it.
I need to have it at my hand.
It's really hard.
They took everything away, you know?
I had everything.
I had everything and now I have nothing
than a small amount of sand in my hand.
Sometimes I celebrate
and laugh, my friend.
Sometimes I am sad and cry, my friend.
Sometimes, I fly like a bird.
Sometimes, I am the salt
rubbed into your wounds.
The sudden regime change is strange.
No one could have imagined it.
Will Afghanistan see another invasion?
Will we return to war?
Will we be bombed again?
Will they put me in prison
in the name of the Taliban
or as a terrorist?
It is not clear.
The future is now totally uncertain.
I am happy becauseI am still
beside my daughter, who is my whole life.
I will do anything to protect her.
Freedom, freedom!
Is our basic right!
Today women protesters
took to the streets of Kabul,
saying the Taliban
were oppressing women's freedoms.
The Taliban government
is not legitimate without women's rights.
Seeing this, I have two feelings.
First, that these women are very strong
and I am proud of them.
Second, that I am sad
not to be among them.
The World
Food Programme warned today
Afghanistan is facing
a catastrophe of hunger.
Its economy has collapsed.
International finance organisations
froze Afghan assets
after the Taliban takeover of Kabul.
Sanctions
on the Taliban
have meant food prices have increased
throughout Afghanistan.
Many NGOs and businesses left
at the same time as the foreign forces,
so homelessness, poverty, and unemployment
are on the rise.
Listen to what I am saying.
I do not have the resources.
When I find the resources...
You listen to what I say.
Poverty is at its peak.
Please, do not bother me anymore.
I do not have the capability.
I am helpless.
Call Sadia.
I am Sadia.
This is Simia.
Look at what these poor and needy people
are going through.
All of them are in need
of a single loaf of bread.
Why? What was the reason?
Who committed treason in this country?
May God damn them!
[sombre music playing
Here,
we are living in the dirt.
Some of the jobless have become addicts.
Aren't poor people human beings?
Don't they also have hearts and needs?
Oh! No, no, no, no...
Our city is full of the poor
It does not deserve bombing
I worked with someone
who went on the world stage
and called the Taliban a dark government.
I don't know what they think of me.
I don't know what the future holds.
Life or death, only God knows.
How are you? All well?
You don't have any guns, right? Move.
You know what's good about it?
THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD
It's the freedom.
After taking the car from Maidan,
there wasn't a police checkpoint
to stop me.
In the previous regime,
I was a driver for Zarifa.
Zarifa was a mayor here?
Yeah, she was a nasty woman!
- He is a mujahid?
- I was a mujahid then as well.
Yeah, right!
Not a mujahid, a woman's driver!
I was a driver for the municipality.
There was a woman in charge here.
She was doing literally everything.
You shouldn't have served her, my friend.
No.
No. The problem is politics is dirty.
We made an ambush on her,
but God saved him.
I was this close to the bullet.
Hey, come here!
This is the person who shot me.
On that day,
I was almost killed.
It's good that I survived!
"Father."
Uh... V has the sound of F, right?
"Father."
"Father."
Together
we've learned "Guten tag.Guten tag."
It's been four months,
and I'm sick of it.
Even if the world explodes,
I must go back once.
I will spend one night there.
I must do this
at least to awaken my generation,
and, specifically, to awaken my gender.
I can't not do this.
And if they kill you?
If I die,
I will die for a reason.
I am with you.
- Hello.
- How are you?
Now about my return,
I want to put politics aside.
In general,
there are no obstacles.
Now that Kabul
is under the control of the Taliban,
Afghanistan no longer
makes the news headlines.
People are talking about Ukraine.
And the Taliban are using this opportunity
to become worse again.
They have imprisoned
the protesting girls and women.
They promised to reopen
the girls' schools, but they haven't.
THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD
Oh my God!
THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD
Hello!
Oh God. Come here all of you!
My guest
is Zarifa Ghafari,
the former mayor of Maidan Wardak.
- Ms Ghafari, thank you for joining us.
- Thank you.
You've returned to Kabul.
What's the purpose of your visit?
The Taliban need to work
to gain the approval
of more than half the population,
the women.
I call upon all elders and rulers
in the current government of Afghanistan,
if they still have
any women protesters in jail,
to set them free for their human dignity.
We, women, are ready for a dialogue.
Let's have a dialogue
to resolve our issues.
Here is a question
addressed directly to you personally.
Have you forgiven your father's murderers?
If it heals any pain,
and prevents other Zarifas
from becoming orphans
or another Abdul Wasi from dying,
then yes.
"Zarifa Ghafari was a nobody."
"It is obvious
how she got the position as a mayor."
"She has no humanity and no morality."
Some people are saying
that I have made a huge mistake.
People are saying I have done a deal
with my father's murderers.
It makes me disappointed.
Anyone who wants to help the people
is accused of whitewashing the Taliban.
But I still believe
that I am doing the right thing.
And I am sure that I am not wrong.
Now I see the people
who were holding guns against me
and who wanted to kill me.
I'm not sure if the way they laugh with me
is a laugh of love or hate.
Does life or death
lie behind this laughter?
My destiny awaits me behind the laughter.
The people of Afghanistan
didn't choose this for themselves.
This government was imposed on us
by the international community.
Bring that over here for me.
The people of Afghanistan
have been condemned
to live in hell.
Ladies,
I am the owner of this school.
This is not just about learning,
but also to see how I can help you,
if you decide to start something
on your own in the future.
What matters is to use this opportunity
to learn something.
We will stand strong, work and struggle.
We do it for ourselves.
ASSISTANCE AND PROMOTION FOR AFGHAN WOMEN
Here is a little rice,
sugar, and some oil.
Give it to this woman, please.
Who's ever seen
a female suicide bomber?
Who?
In this country, whenever there was a war,
the men started it.
- Let's pray for our country's prosperity.
- Amen.
Pray that a woman becomes president
to rebuild this country.
Let's lock all men up at home
and tell them not to leave the house,
otherwise our Islam will be at risk.
Men, leave now!
Otherwise, my religion will be endangered
by the sight of you.
No, I'm joking with you.
Should I take down
this woman's number?
Yes!
Don't make yourself so tired.
I am from this country.
This is my place.
I need to be here to help.
I am joining this storm.
Let's see where it will head.
But I have faith.