Little Bollywood struggles in Afghanistan

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/South_Asia/NA13Df02.html


At first sight, the green tents standing in a row in the southeastern Afghan city of Jalalabad look like they might be temporary shelter for a group of refugees, but they serve a very different purpose. In a city known as "Little Mumbai" as the nearest thing Afghanistan has to Bollywood, the tents are the local cinema.

For around a US dollar a time, Jalalabad residents can watch a locally-made film in their own language, Pashto.

The tent cinemas are only open for business on public holidays. Gaps in the cloth are patched up to prevent daylight getting in.

-snip-

"I wish there was a cinema hall in Nangarhar province," Zerawar said. "Our officials are busy looting, and they don't attend to things like this."

-long snip about how hard is to make and view a film and because of the religiously insane they have to hire women actors from Pakistan, etc.-

Sadeq remains optimistic despite all the obstacles. He cites two success stories - a film called Handprint won first prize in a national film festival, while a 22-part drama serial called White Poison has been taken up by the national television network.

-snip-
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wishing them well

anyone seen 'Handprint' or 'White Poison'?