Kamay

After a young girl from the Azara minority commits suicide inside Kabul University, because she was sexually harassed by her director of studies, her family’s life enters into a painful and exhausting process. Her parents seek justice in one of the most corrupt judicial systems in the world; while their younger daughter applies to the same university, to complete what her sister had started. What will be left of this quest with the Taliban return?

"Kamay is the name of an ancient plant which carpets the mountains of central Afghanistan, historically inhabited by the Hazara people, who were massacred at the end of the 19th century for having sought independence. A journey of several days by bus separates this area from the capital, Kabul. The roads are dangerous and covered in snow, and the camera sometimes needs to be turned off to avoid run-ins with the authorities. None of this has stooped Zahra's parents from pursuing their quest for justice following her disappearance, while her little sister, who also dreamed of studying, relates her experiences of harassment, solitude and loss. The grey skies of Kabul contrast with the breathtaking beauty of the tall peaks, which echo back the song that Freshta sings for her sister. There is the poetry of daily life, the love which endures in this home, the gestures, the animals. But suddenly, the family’s enquiries are obstructed, there is no way forward, History overtakes personal lives, and Zahra's destiny merges with that of every woman in the country. This highly contemporary film is a contemplation of unconditional love and the resistance of Afghan women."
(Anne Delseth - Visions du Réel)