REALITY: An interview with Osama writer/director Siddiq Barmak. By Warren Curry 2/5/04

Marina Golhahari in Osama.

(Read the review of Osama)

"I'm not alive without film," proclaims Afghan director Siddiq Barmak while discussing his future career endeavors. An enthusiastic, amiable man, who answers just about every question with a smile, Barmak speaks exuberantly about his Golden Globe award winning film, Osama, which has the distinction of being, as its press kit notes, "the first entirely Afghan film shot since the rise and fall of the Taliban." "I never expected that Osama would be the winner of the Golden Globe (for best foreign film)," states Barmak. "Afghanistan was forgotten by different people, different audiences, different countries. I really wanted to make this movie to remind people about Afghanistan, but the Golden Globe? I'm very happy about it."

A powerful indictment of the barbaric practices of the Taliban regime, Barmak's film consequently serves as a strong voice for feminism. Centering on the plight of a young girl (Marina Golhahari), who adopts the name Osama to complete her disguise as a boy, in order to earn money for her family, the film brings to light the startling oppression of women by the Taliban. During the government's reign, women were not allowed to work and were even barred from venturing outside of their homes without a male companion. The rise of the Taliban also saw the implementation of a law where Afghan women were forced to wear burqas -- a robe-like garment that covers the entire body, from head to toe -- when out in public.

Given the fact that Afghanistan has produced only 40 films (both shorts and features) in the last century, one can rightfully assume that making Osama was an arduous task for Barmak. After all, how does one cast actors for a movie in a country with virtually no film industry? "It was difficult to find actors and actresses, especially for this film," says Barmak, corroborating the point. "I searched for this main character; around 3000 girls in different places -- schools, orphanages, children's centers. We were walking on the streets and looking for different faces. I found Marina suddenly on the street, in front of the movie theater that showed Osama for the first time. She was unfortunately begging at that time. I saw that her face was amazing, and when I asked if she'd like to play a role in my film, she was surprised…she had never seen a film and didn't have a TV set in her house."

As one could guess, Barmak's cast is comprised entirely of non-professionals. However, the concept of non-pro actors takes on a much more extreme meaning in Afghanistan. "A lot of (the actors) were not familiar with the camera. Even Marina, the first two days, was afraid of the camera. Maybe she thought it was some kind of weapon?" he laughs. But in a film that vigorously stresses naturalism as a prime function in delivering its pointed commentary, the actors' lack of formal training can certainly be regarded as an unexpected blessing. "I was happy to see how (the actors) were giving me their own experience," notes Barmak.

The beginning of the film features an elaborate scene where a large, but peaceful, demonstration takes place. Hundreds of women, covered in burqas, take to the streets of their village to express dismay over the loss of numerous basic human rights, only to find their voice once again suppressed by the Taliban in a violent authoritarian response to the quiet insurrection. "Before the shooting of this scene, I really got stressed," recalls Barmak, unsure of how he was going to find enough women to populate the scene. "I suddenly found the solution. I went to the Afghani Red Cross Center, and I asked for a list of widows; women who need humanitarian assistance. They gave me the list -- it was around 4000 women, only in one center. I had a lot of conversations with these women. Of course, it was difficult to find a common language with them. They were not familiar with film, and in some cases they were afraid that the Taliban should come again." He continues, "A majority of them asked me if it was going to be like Indian film (the main cinematic import in Afghanistan) with dance and pornographic scenes -- they were not going to do that. I told them that I was going to make a different film. 'It's your tragedy, it's your story.'"

When speaking of the future of cinema in Afghanistan, Barmak sounds genuinely optimistic. "They really love cinema; they love to go to the cinema and watch film," says the director about his countrymen/women. "We have a lot of good stories, and I think Afghanistan is a good place for filming." But Barmak knows that for films to truly be a catalyst for social change in the country, momentum must continue to gather from the acclaim heaped upon Osama. "I think cinema can play a role, but not only one film. We have to continue, and we have to do a lot of films to change the society. But I believe that cinema can change a lot of things." The director's words remain sober when offering his view of the current climate in his country. "It's impossible to compare today's Afghanistan with two years ago, but there's still a lot of difficulties. I think our people are taking the initiative to rebuild this country, but they need a lot of assistance from the international community. Unfortunately, our friends in different countries are moving very slowly. They promised a lot of things for Afghan people, but they didn't employ these promises."

And finally -- what about that eyebrow-raising title? "At the first experimental screening, the audience was thinking it was a documentary about Osama Bin Laden," mentions Barmak, who one senses isn't being confronted with this question for the first time. "In Cannes everybody was asking me if it was a documentary. My answer was, 'Yes, it's reality.'" But while Osama is a common male name in Afghanistan, the title of this film shouldn't be seen as merely coincidental. "I really wanted to tell that every horrible thing that happened in Afghanistan -- a terrible situation -- was because of Osama Bin Laden, " Barmak firmly asserts. "In my film, nobody has their own personal name because they lost their own identity. In my opinion, Osama Bin Laden was behind all of this losing."

United Artists acquired Osama, which, despite its Golden Globe award, was inexplicably denied an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Language film, at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival, and will release it in the U.S. (beginning with New York and Los Angeles) on February 6, 2004. A work of great significance -- culturally, politically and artistically -- Osama is a mesmerizing film that provides a provocative look inside a mysterious world full of all-too-real horror.

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